Uchiha of Ravenclaw
by Hebisama
Summary: This is a story of the normal students in school, or as normal as you can be with a kunoichi in your midst. An Uchiha fOC student at Hogwarts. Saeko is older than HP so Harry will be in the picture from her fourth year up. Mainly OCs, a bit of humor, bit of adventure, bit of romance (Femslash so just you know).
1. 1- 01 Unusual request

**AN: There is a longish author's note or warning at the end of the chapter. If you don't dismiss this story out of hand, please read it.**

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><p><strong>* Unusual request*<strong>

**Headmaster****'****s office, Hogwarts, GB**

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk looking through the window, enjoying the summer breeze so common in the Scottish highlands during the season, while patiently waiting for his guests to arrive. Stroking his beard he looked back inside, his gaze skimming over the shelf of various silver instruments, lingering on two in particular. With a slight smile the headmaster opened the letter he had been fanning himself with – the letter that was the cause for today's meeting.

There was a slight noise from down below signaling the arrival of his guests. Smiling slightly Dumbledore put the paper on the desk in front of him and straightened himself in his high chair.

Just before he expected a knock he made a casual looking wave with his hand and with his strong voice said "Enter."

The door opened and revealed a strict looking older woman who pursed her lips in slight annoyance. She was followed by three strangers who inclined their heads in greeting. Two of the strangers that were dressed in what was certainly a uniform held back half a step, allowing the third guest to speak. The leader of the group was a huge man well over six feet with a mane of spiky white hair and red markings under his eyes. Dressed in green and vibrant red he stood out of the trio.

"Good afternoon! As professor McGonagall surely told you I am the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Welcome to Hogwarts" he greeted the group with a twinkle in his eyes.

The oldest of the trio grinned "Good afternoon. Indeed she did Dumbledore-dono. I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin, the ambassador from Konohagakure no Sato. My companions are the Clan Head of the Uchiha clan Uchiha Itachi, jounin of Konoha and Uchiha Saeko, chuunin of Konoha."

The headmaster's gaze turned to the youngest visitor and the only woman. Girl more accurately. She was tall for her age which Dumbledore knew to be 11 and serious looking. Dressed in a dark blue uniform with a light green vest she calmly returned his gaze. Her youthful face was marred by a long scar that started an inch up her eyebrow and extended to the middle of her cheek, thankfully skipping her eye. A long braid of charcoal black hair brushed her waist while her bangs were held at bay by a piece of metal on a long black cloth. The girl held many similarities with the last member of the group which he presumed to be her brother.

The Lord Uchiha had smoother hair than his sister, tied in a small low ponytail and a sharper and more angular face. He was dressed identically to Saeko only with his uniform´s vest being a darker shade of green.

"Nice to meet you both" the headmaster said with his usual twinkle, "So this is the young lady that wishes to enter Hogwarts? How do you like the castle?"

Saeko arched her eyebrow but answered promptly "It is quite beautiful, it reminds me of our Daimyo's palace. It is certainly a different than usual style, western I guess. But I'm obviously more interested in the education the castle might offer. Oh, and the library!" At the last sentence the young girl abandoned her stoic attitude and looked positively giddy.

The headmaster smiled and professor McGonagall relaxed, taking on a softer look. Meanwhile Jiraiya rolled his eyes, grinned and said "Nerd!" Itachi remained stoic but finally a corner of his mouth jerked upwards a little.

Dumbledore chucked "Well, who are we to deny a young student's education. But you must understand our curiosity as to why. Why Hogwarts, why even come to the British Isles at all – it is well known that eastern wizards tends to isolate themselves. This goes twice for you ninjas. I know you already talked to the Ministry about it but as you are well aware, school's admissions are entirely my jurisdiction."

Jiraiya nodded "Of course. Well the first question is for Saeko-san to answer. Saeko-san here asked permission from Hokage-sama to apply to Hogwarts, she is a bit of a knowledge hound and since she finished her education in Konoha he agreed. If Saeko-san has the ability to do magic it would be a shame not to learn it. She would be more of an asset for Konoha with this added ability."

The headmaster frowned at the explanation, as did McGonagall but before they could say something Lord Uchiha spoke for the first time "My sister has a dream, an ambition and that is to become Hokage, the leader of Konoha. She already mastered shinobi…. magic and made a name for herself. Mastering your kind of magic would be quite a feat and it might be what would tip the scales in her favor when the time for the new Hokage comes. That aside I would wish for her to enter for a simpler reason – Saeko is hailed as a prodigy back home, a genius. Our father pushed us to succeed at every cost so she graduated from the academy at 7, made chuunin at 10, far sooner than normal. You know what our work entails, I would wish for Saeko to have a more normal childhood, one more appropriate for her age while also enabling her to achieve her dream."

All the eyes in the room were turned to Itachi who once didn't lose his stoic attitude and stone face. The Brits were surprised but could see where the elder Uchiha was coming from.

The girl smiled slightly "My childhood was and is just fine but I could use come calm and less missions every now and then." Turning back to the bearded professor she said "But the rest was correct. Back home we have this legend about the originator of magic, the Rikudou Sannin, the Sage of the Six Paths. According to the story his sons inherited only parts of his vast magic, being the forefathers of different branches of the art. The biggest split was between the East and Western magic. The Uchiha were said to direct descendants of the second born son. Maybe it's just an illusion of grandeur but I would like the opportunity to emulate the Sannin and learn magic outside my circle. It would be quite fascinating experiment!"

Jiraiya gulped at that and face palmed. Itachi actually sighed. Saeko looked around and saw the disturbed expressions "What? I know people with weirder hobbies, look at Maito Gai for example." At that both shinobi nodded sagely.

"Who?" asked the bewildered Scottish professor.

"Don't ask!" the ninja trio said in unison, looking horrified.

"Alright then," Dumbledore said clearly amused, "you are clearly interested in the education we provide."

"But," interjected the transfiguration teacher, "we are still concerned about you being a shinobi. You are in fact a trained soldier and letting you in the student population concerns us."

The Gama sannin just shrugged "That should not be a handicap, we are perfectly capable of controlling ourselves. The only difference would be that Saeko-san here is considered an adult in our country. You could look at it as additional protection. I heard your current Dark Lord is still alive…"

The Hogwarts professors sharpened up at his statement. Jiraiya continued without pausing "That actually is one of the reasons your minister allowed our and especially Saeko's presence here – looking at your country's history and your tendency of producing dark lords on a regular basis, minister Fudge was quite happy to form a friendship with our shinobi force."

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes "So if a new dark lord, or old for that matter, arises, Great Britain could count on Konoha's support?"

"If we are paid. We are shinobi after all. But it would be a first for us to get ourselves involved outside the Elemental Nations, especially with something this big" Jiraiya trail out.

The Scottish woman frowned but nodded. Dumbledore smiled instead in acknowledgement. "If such situation arises I assume Saeko here would be the liaison between us?"

The old ninja chuckled "A general more like it. Or if Saeko-san should succeed, even our Hokage. Chuunin Uchiha certainly has skill to command our forces and quell a civil war." Saeko, who returned to the stoic Uchiha self still couldn't help to grin.

Dumbledore looked appraisingly at the young kunoichi "Hm, I see. I'm more than sure the Ministry would appreciate any help in these matters as we have no professional soldiers, only the auror corps and hit wizards."

Before the headmaster could continue Jiraiya interjected "I hear that you yourself were a great player in the last two uprising and quite the hero and commander. As such it would only be appropriate to put you on Konoha's potential client list here in the West. The Hokage would gladly accept any mission request on your part. Oh, and we are quite famous for our client's confidentiality" he finished with a cheeky smile.

The old headmaster repeated "I see. Well, as I said before who are we to deny a young student's education." At this the Scottish woman in the room looked sharply at her boss and friend but at the sight of his slight smile she relented. Dumbledore continued "The last issue to be settled is the magic. I am sure you are quite proficient in your kind of magic but ours is clearly different. The question is – can you do spell as well as you do your…. eh, jutsu?"

Jiraiya smirked "Been reading up on us, eh? Smart. We did too. Saeko?"

The chuunin nodded "I obviously don't have a wand but I read about wandless magic. The scroll I read that from was written by the Rikudou Sennin himself. It had listed some spells and explanations on the mechanics but not enough - I like to know the background and working of every jutsu I learn. I think I can do the simple light charm without any magic conduit but if you let me borrow a wand and show me a simple spell say twice I…."

"That is impossible. It is not possible to learn a spell just by seeing it twice" McGonagall said sternly.

"They say that about jutsu too, but Saeko-san, Itachi-dono too for that matter, are not considered geniuses for nothing. And chuunin Uchiha said that she already knows the light charm somewhat" Jiraiya waved his hand.

The scot went to reply but was interrupted by the headmaster "Minerva, if Saeko says she can then why not. Would you mind letting her borrow your wand? The incantation is _lumos_ and such is the wand movement."

Saeko subtly hid her eyes with a small genjutsu and activated her Uchiha birthright, closely observing the headmaster's spellwork with her fully matured sharingan. Without looking at the transfiguration professor she took her wand and thanked her.

Dumbledore repeated the charm again. "Once more?"

"If you would Dombledore-dono, I wouldn't want to embarrass myself after that introduction" Saeko smiled politely. McGonagall huffed as the headmaster obliged.

"Well, here we go" said Saeko and weighted her borrowed wand, finally grasping it lightly she cleared her voice and intoned "_Lumos_" The tip of the wand responded and indeed lighted up.

"Well, it seems everything is in order and your spell work just fine. Welcome to Hogwarts" Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile.

Jiraiya grinned while the Uchiha sibling bowed slightly and thanked him.

"Usually we send the acceptance letter by owl post as well as the list of school supplies but since you are already here" said McGonagall and handed Saeko two pieces of parchment.

"Thank you" replied the brunette and quickly surveyed them.

"Usually we send a teacher along for those that are new to our magical society and take them to Diagon Alley – the shopping district - but I assume the Minister arranged that for you already" said Dumbledore.

"Yep, we've got an escort. An armed one, lucky us" Jiraiya grinned.

The elder Uchiha spoke up "As the Lord Uchiha I formally thank you for accepting Saeko into your school. Konoha is grateful as well."

"Oh, yeah" said Jiraiya and scratched the back of his neck with an embarrassed grin.

Dumbledore smiled in response "We are glad to have miss Uchiha here coming september."

"If I may interrupt our goodbyes I would have a request. No, a favour for which I would be most grateful" said Saeko who folded her letter, looking positively distraught.

All the people in the room looked at her with question in their eyes. Saeko knelt on one knee and bowed "I would ask to be given the option to wear the man's Hogwarts uniform. As a shinobi just cannot war a skirt" The last words were said with a whine.

Dumbledore's eyes dimed a little. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that" he begun but Saeko looked at him pleadingly and knelt completely.

Itachi seeing his sister's plight bowed deeply "I would consider it a great favour for the Uchiha clan, the founding clan of Konohagakure no Sato."

Jiraiya added his two cents "Ninjas always wear pants. Even the women. Every kunoichi would look at it as you are looking into diminishing her achievements. I would go as far as diminishing her honor. Surely it is not such a major request…"

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><p><strong>AN: So, this is the first chapter. What do you think? I know OCs are always a gamble but give Saeko a chance (or me a chance to improve her). Thanks<strong>

**AN2 - or more like a WARNING or a tag: Saeko can be described as a bit OP, she is after all a clan ninja attending a school full of mostly sedentary magicals. She is an Uchiha, which means she****'s rather arrogant, not used to failing and with big dreams (and has a sharingan, which is OP all on it****'****s own). All this can make her stink of Mary-Sue, but I tried to keep it logical and canon-compliant (look at Haku for example, he/she, I don't know, kicked major ass in Wave. It was because he had the skills and training.) That said, Saeko will not butt in everything, she takes Hogwarts as a vacation and an opportunity to grow and get stronger. This story is light, so no angsting and heavy drama. The story evolves and the characters grow older but it is marked humor/adventure and it will be more or less kept that way.**

**I hope I didn****'t deter you. Try the first few chapters at least ;-)**


	2. 1- 02 Diagon Alley

***Diagon Alley***

**Diagon Alley, London, GB**

„Well, that's fancy" Jiraiya winked at their silent escort as they exited the Leaky Cauldron into an alley that was full of trash. The two aurors said nothing while the young Ministry employee that was supposed to show them around jumped uncomfortably and stuttered „This is just the entrance".

The sage hummed and looked interestedly as the young paper-pusher drew his wand and lightly tapped a nearby wall. The Uchiha siblings observed in silence as the Diagon Alley unfolded before their eyes.

The street was full of people, some shopping some just strolling. The ice-cream parlor was particularly full seeing the hot summer day it was. Some vendors stood outside their shops loudly advertising their goods, those shouts were intermingled with the hoot of owls and the general noise of the shoppers. The sannin smirked in approval and asked „Any chance you have bathhouses around here?"

Before the young wizard could answer he was interrupted by a reproachful „Jiraiya-sama", courtesy of the two Uchiha ninja. Jiraiya just shrugged and smiled „Sooo we need cash?"

Mr. Salisbury nodded and pointed to the building that dominated the street, all white marble „The Gringotts bank, goblin management. I would advise against any hostile actions against them and their gold, they can be very... vicious."

When the group arrived at the entrance the shinobi trio read the golden inscription above the door. „I like it" Jiraiya smirked. „Dangerous, honor and gold-oriented, I think we will go along just fine".

The aurors frowned in disgust while Salisbury just jumped nervously even more.

XXX

**Later**

„Well, that was fun. Salisbury-san where to first?" Jiraiya asked. He was grinning and looking around like a kid in a candy store while his compatriots were silent as usual.

„We could start with the books on the list…" Mr. Salisbury started but Itachi interjected with a firm „No, the bookstore comes last".

Saeko visibly deflated but nodded „Ok, more time for the books that way. What about those potion ingredients? They are not listed, do they have some kind of package for students?"

The young Brit was startled at their voices since the Uchiha were silent the entire trip „They do indeed. The apothecary is this way. Ask for a high quality kit, the potions master at the Castle is very strict and precise".

When they came inside the ingredients shop their senses were invaded by a multitude of smells. Saeko let Salisbury deal with the owner and only interrupted to say „I would like the double amount if it's not much trouble". At three raised eyebrows, courtesy of the natives she winked „I like to play at home".

When they were done in the apothecary Salisbury suggested they split up. The aurors protested mildly but eventually agreed. Saeko and an auror went to Madam Malkins for her uniform while the rest went for the other items on the list.

When the young kunoichi entered the store she cheerfully greeted „Good afternoon!" The dark-haired auror dropped his frown and looked in surprise and suspicion at her sudden change in attitude.

The older woman who greeted back smiled „Hello, dear. What can I do for you and your father?"

Saeko laughed melodically while the auror looked incredulous „I'm going to Hogwarts in september so I'm here for the uniform. We live outside the country and I'll not be able to come here before autumn".

„Of course dear. If you would come this way" madam Malkin motioned.

Before the owner could pick up a uniform from a stack Saeko hurried to tell her „I will need a man's uniform. I have a special permission from the Headmaster to wear pants". She showed the piece of parchment for proof.

The woman was bewildered but after checking Dumbledore's signature she nodded ad went to fetch a different uniform. „How come?" she asked while tailoring the back cloth to fit Saeko.

„Tradition and puppy-dog eyes" Saeko smiled, „As I said, I'm not from around here. Hogwarts is a big opportunity. Can you tell me about the Houses? It sounds like an interesting system."

Madam Malkin smiled „There are four of them: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. They are named after the Hogwarts founders. I used to be in Hufflepuff in my days. The puffs value loyalty and hard-work. And they have a great quidditch team. Gryffindor takes the brave and stubborn. Ravenclaws value knowledge and intelligence and Slytherin ambitious and cunning. Which one you think you'll go into?"

„Depends on how we are sorted..." Saeko smirked.

The woman chuckled „I would peg you for Slytherin for that" she winked, „It's more fun when it's a surprise. But no worries, it's not a test or anything".

Saeko smiled „Had to try. All Houses are the same then? No specialties, no special focus or things like that?"

Madam Malkin took the pins from her mouth „Essentially yes. When you join a House this crest over here phases into the House one and the tie get colored too."

„Nice magic" Saeko flattered and Malkin beamed, „If I may ask more questions, I get to be in London just today and I'm coming back just for Hogwarts…"

XXX

**Ollivander's some time later**

The whole group was tired and annoyed with the exception for the stoic Itachi and the starry-eyed Saeko. Mr. Salisbury sighed „Well, this is the wand shop, our last stop".

„Thanks Kami!" Jiraiya exclaimed, „I thought I was gonna die in that bookshop! I knew you liked books but that was… man!"

„Knowledge is power Jiraiya-sama. And this magic is so new to me and rather fascinating!" Saeko defended herself, not looking guilty at all.

„Ya, Ya, Ya I get it. Just go get your wand and let's get out from here" the sage waved his hand. Saeko just smirked and nodded.

Inside the shop all the shinobi tensed, sensing something odd in the air. As soon as Mr. Ollivander appeared from the shadows the ninja moved. Saeko whipped up a kunai and Itachi grabbed the man by his vest and was looking into his eyes with his sharingan. Jiraiya had his hand on both siblings' shoulders and yanked them back.

„H, He, llo?" the old wand maker stuttered.

„Sorry about that, we tend to be cautious about people jumping out of shadows without making noise" Jiraiya smiled in apology. „Really sorry" he said when he turned to the aurors who didn't even had time to draw their wands.

„No matter" said Mr. Ollivander, „so who is in need of a wand? The young lady?"

„Indeed" Saeko smiled.

„Which is your wand arm?" the eerie man asked and drew a meter.

Saeko frowned „I'm ambidextrous". Mr. Ollivander hummed in deep thought.

„You like to wield your tantō in your left so you could combine it with the wand in your right" Itachi mused. Saeko frowned in thought. „Yeah, but my fan in my right. But I only use that for fire jutsus… My right then, Ollivander-san".

The strange man nodded and headed deeper into the shop. In the meantime the meter measured Saeko's arm on its own. Just as it was measuring her waist for some obscure reason Mr. Ollivander returned with a long and thin box. „Try this one. Fir, 10 inches and griffin's feather. Nice ad flexible, good for transfiguration."

Saeko took the wand and examined it carefully. Finally she grasped it in her right hand and swung it. All the eyes were trained on the wand but it did nothing. Saeko was disappointed and returned the wand.

„Oak, 8,5 inches and a hair of a cerberus. Quite vicious, good for fire charms" Mr. Ollivander handed her a new wand. Saeko tried it, quite confident in the natural Uchiha fire affinity. When the young chuunin swung the wand a huge flame erupted from the wand and set the curtains on fire.

Saeko grinned like a madman but was disappointed when the wand-maker took the wand from her hand and shook his head. „What?!" Saeko protested.

„No control. But now I know where to look…. Hmm, try this one. Alder wood, 9 inches, dragon heartstring, good for elemental magic. I'm quite confident…"

Saeko obediently took the offered wand and swung it. True to the wand seller's word crimson sparks appeared and a light breeze circled the room. „This one" Saeko smirked, twirling the piece of wood between her fingers.

„This one indeed" Mr. Ollivander smiled and proceeded to pack the wand.

„Where the wizards usually keep their wands?" Itachi suddenly asked one of the aurors.

„Depends. The Auror Corps have a mandatory wrist holster" he answered.

„Sounds good. I'd like one too. I'm definitely not keeping it in my pocket" chimed in Saeko. Mr Ollivander nodded and pointed to a nearby shelf.

„That's it then?" Salisbury asked, a bit too giddy for everyone's tastes.

„Eager to get rid of us?" Jiraiya smirked, „Can't really blame ya. Yeah, that's it, for today…"


	3. 1- 03 Hokage's Orders

***Hokage****'s orders***

**Hokage****'s Office, Konoha, Hi no Kuni**

The Uchiha siblings stood before the village leader while Jiraiya was leaning on the window frame. After the customary greetings the aged Hokage spoke „Report?"

The male nins looked at the sole girl, she was the originator of the idea after all, „Jiraiya sama's intel was spot on, the British minister feels insecure in his seat and jumped at the idea of possible ninja support. Dumbledore is definitely more intelligent, cautious too, a big player. Jiraiya-sama played them well, they both approved, no further stipulations."

Sarutobi looked at his student „Good work Jiraiya-kun". Setting his gaze back at the young chuunin „Are you sure you wish to proceed Saeko-kun?"

The brunette nodded curtly „Yes, I already talked the worth of my idea. Extensively."

The Hokage chuckled „True. And I already approved, just checking. If you are sure then I will sanction a year-long trial at Hogwarts. It shall be an A-rank mission but we have to keep it confidential lest other villages get any ideas. You can tell your friends and family you are on a long-term mission, no details, the only ones in the know will be me, Itachi-kun, Jiraiya-kun and the ANBU commander."

Saeko gave a sharp nod in understanding. Sarutobi smiled „I look forward to the knowledge you will bring to the village. We will talk again before your departure. Dismissed."

XXX

Saeko let the sound of excited shouts guide her to training ground 9 where two green blurs in the middle of the field made her smile. „Oi, Hyuuga prodigy!" she shouted at the long-haired boy with white eyes.

Neji stood up from beside his only female teammate, bowing slightly „Uchiha prodigy".

„Tenten, Lee, Guy-sensei" the scarred chuunin greeted the rest of the occupants.

The blurs slowed down into two nearly identical ninja complete with spandex suit „Ahhh, young Saeko! Here to spar with my youthful genin?" the jounin-sensei grinned in a slightly maniacal way.

„Not today Guy-sensei. I will be going on a long-term solo mission in a month so I'd like to inform my friends" Saeko shrugged.

The two spandex-clad ninja were ecstatic and the chuunin tuned out their typical shouts of youth and motioned to Neji to join her. Tenten just congratulated the Uchiha and murmured „Still can't believe Neji has friends."

After the Hyuuga genin excused himself to his team and sensei the two prodigies made their way deeper into the training ground to talk in private. Sitting down on a log Neji inquired „Long-term and a solo one to boot, congratulations. What rank?"

„A-rank, can't say more, I estimate the duration for a year or so with possible repeat" Saeko rubbed her eyes warily.

The shinobi nodded „I understand. I will miss sparring with you though."

„Oh, shush, don't ruin your rep. I hope I won't miss the Chuunin exams though, niisan told me they will be held in Konoha this time around, I guess that's why you are not promoted yet, you will make a good show" the brunette mused.

Neji snorted „I guess. I'm tired of being held back – first because of Hinata-sama and now to entertain. I envy you so for being encouraged to advance as quickly as you can."

„I know. I hate Fugaku deeply for what he did but making me graduate early is the one thing I'm grateful for. That and fathering me, naturally" Saeko tried to lighten up her friend.

„Naturally. Not that I would want to imitate you and your brother in relation to your family but I believe the Hyuuga are in dire need of a wakeup call" Neji lowered his voice.

Saeko mock-glared „I think one clan massacre was enough, thank you very much. We got lucky that the Hokage and Konoha accept the Uchiha after our … cleanup."

Both ninja stayed silent for a little while, both pondering past events. „Moving on," said the brunette with a forced grin, „What's new? Hinata is graduating huh?"

„About time" Neji spat out.

„She's good, not our level, but not bad at all" said Saeko, pausing for a moment „We are in a league of our own afterall. I'm still far better though".

„You wish" Neji said challengingly but with a smile, „you might have more experience but I can win."

„No fate speech? Although thanks, it really irks me" the scarred chuunin replied.

„I accepted your fate is becoming Hokage as mine is to serve the Hyuuga. Still, it doesn't mean I won't be the best I can be" the pearl-eyed ninja said with finality.

Saeko shrugged, not really wanting to get into it „So, spar?"

Neji stood up gracefully and smirked. His friend mimicked the gesture and leapt up from her seat.

XXX

Saeko stood before the entrance to the Academy, waiting for her generation of shinobi-to-be to come out. She chuckled at her actions, never really befriending the students she actually studied with – their opinion of her was colored by the 'Uchiha female prodigy' act her father and sometimes even herself, liked to flaunt.

This year's graduating class was different – composed by clan children, the majority of them heirs of their respective clans - were not so easily impressed or deterred. But the bottom line was that she found them interesting and even amusing… „Oi Uchiha!" resounded a bright voice.

Saeko pushed herself from the wall with a small smile „Uzumaki, third time the charm for graduation?"

The blond scoffed „Please, even with my two fails I will still beat you to the Hokage Hat. What are you doing here, oh mighty chuunin?"

„I got a long-term mission and I wanted to speak to Shika. Oh and maybe say goodbye to y'all" the girl smirked.

Before the orphan could reply other students came towards them. Saeko smiled genuinely at them as they engaged in conversation. With their final exam imminent they were quite insistent with questions about the life beyond graduation. Kiba was boasting loudly along with Naruto, Ino berating everyone while the others laughed at their antics. Saeko spaced out for a bit, thinking if being at Hogwarts will be similar. While she loved Konoha and her missions she missed this playful attitude.

As always the meeting with the heirs ended with Saeko at the Nara compound playing shougi with Shikamaru.

„So, new mission?" the Nara genius drawled lazily.

„Yup. I'll have to miss your graduation and team assignments, that actually sucks" Saeko smiled.

The pineapple-haired student sighed „My placement will be no surprise."

„A new version of Ino-Shika-Chou you reckon?" the brunette mused.

„Indeed. Our fathers have been planning that since we entered the academy. I hope Ino can calm down a little" the heir sighed once more.

Saeko grinned „She's not too bad and you know it, maybe she will serve to motivate you a little bit."

„Troublesome" the Nara gave his trademark answer.

„Pity you can't have Guy-sensei as your jounin instructor, that would be hilarious. I can even picture you in green spandex in my mind" Saeko roared in laughter at the image.

Shikamaru's head shot up, eyes wide as he gulped „Don't even joke about that!"

XXX

"You wanted to see me Nii-sama?" Saeko said after knocking and entering Itachi's office.

"Indeed" said the older sibling, "We need to discuss your time before the beginning of your mission."

The kunoichi poured herself a cup of tea and sat down "Of course. I talked to some friends about me leaving, my old genin teammates are all on a mission. And I talked to Kaori-sensei. Now I'm all yours."

Itachi nodded "Yes, I'm glad you found friends despite our father, I never managed."

"I admit the initial idea was to befriend the clan heirs but I like them now. You could try it. And you have ANBU buddies" the girl shrugged.

The Uchiha lord just hummed in response "While on your mission you will be learning about magic and its ways and jutsu. Naturally you will have to keep up with your ninja training. While I fully trust you will manage your regime I took the liberty of getting some scrolls for you, things you can practice even in secret and confined in their Castle – chakra control for medic nins, elemental control for every element, genjutsu. You are free to copy any jutsu scrolls from the Clan library but keep in mind those have to be kept secret from the Castle students and professors alike."

Saeko nodded, having anticipated her brother's thought process „Of course, thank you brother. What about my time before departure, I have no missions. Will you be training me?"

Itachi gave a rare smile „I hardly think I have more to teach you, you are more than a capable shinobi in your own right. But yes actually. I plan to spar with you and I was thinking we could go on a mission together. We never did before."

„Both Uchiha siblings at once? It better be an S-rank, otherwise it's an overkill" the girl grinned, „But you are right. I will be able to train but my mission record will be going on hiatus, maybe it's not a bad idea to boost my record before going to… on my mission. A Hokage can't slack off afterall!"

The jounin let himself smile once more „I will have to mention your departure to the clan council. I will miss your support on it."

„Sorry to bail on you. Ok, not really, they are fucking boring, even now. Can't imagine the council during Fugaku's reign" the kunoichi mused.

„Also I expect you to study the new books we brought back. When the Ministry will not be so careful around us we will make another trip in henge to collect more books, get the older and rarer tomes" Itachi reminded his sister.

Saeko almost hopped with enthusiasm „I can't wait for that! Oh and I was going to ask Jiraiya-sama to make me a seal tattoo for my wand. Oh, about the wand – I was thinking while in henge I could get a spare one, just in case."

„That would be prudent."

XXX

Saeko sat at her desk in her room, buried in books they brought from London, excitedly jotting down notes on a thick legal pad when Itachi came knocking.

„How are things?" he asked.

The kunoichi looked up and her face lit up in a smile „Good, good. It is fascinating, really different, but good. I read through the curriculum for the first year, it will be no trouble and some of the stuff is really good. Potions is too much like cooking but I will excel as always."

„Of course. I can see you like your new research project, I am glad. How about you put that aside for a minute, you leave so soon. I acquired a new jutsu on my last mission to Lightening Country – interested?" Itachi asked.

Saeko closed the book she was studying „Lightening is my weakest element, I'm far better with fire. I plan to remedy that at … during my mission."

"Yes, you should train all elements, it will make the sharingan even more useful a tool" the elder Uchiha nodded, "So, let's do some sibling bonding over large area destruction".

Saeko grinned "See you have a sense of humor. I love that you only show that side of you around me but that is not healthy at all. I want nephews and nieces. And a sister-in-law!"

Itachi took a step back "Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself? I'm only eighteen!"

„And you don't date at all. It's not like in the Academy, not all girls are fangirls. What about… what's her codename, oh Owl. Can't say I have seen her without a mask but she has pretty hair and an awesome body" Saeko smirked.

"If I am young, it goes double for you!" Itachi shook his head in alarm.

"Ninjas grow up fast, but no worries I was merely playing matchmaker. So, Owl?" the younger sibling smirked again.

"So, Raiton: Jūrokuchū Shibari! Let's go!" Itachi blushed slightly and disappeared into the yard.

XXX


	4. 1- 04 A Long Day

_And finally Hogwarts! Banzai!_

* * *

><p><strong>*A Long Day*<strong>

**Platform 9¾, London, England**

„I don't understand why we can't just poof there just like we did here" Saeko complained to her two companions.

Jiraiya shrugged while Itachi showed no outward reaction. Finally he spoke „This portkey seal brought us here, I would assume riding the train is a tradition or a mean to get to know some of your future classmates outside class".

The sage, who was getting a lot of attention thanks to his attire, nodded „That's not stupid actually".

„Actually after the ride we will be divided into 4 subgroups, so why bother when I don't know where I go or who I meet. I think I'll be reading" mused the brunette.

„Loosen up young Uchiha" Jiraiya sing-songed while eyeing the moms and young female students, „You might get lucky. And remember what the Sarutobi-sensei said – relax, make friends and allies".

Itachi agreed „It can prove beneficial. Go and mingle. Jiraiya-sama and I will be going. We are getting far too much attention, at least you are more appropriately dressed".

Saeko glanced at herself, glad she didn't stand out as much as the toad sage – tight dark blue pants and a typical Uchiha shirt in a lighter shade complete with a small crest on the collar. She refused to part with her old tantō and her customary thin black gloves with metal plates, one bore the Uchiha crest the other the Konoha Leaf. The only thing that really screamed foreigner was a massive sealing scroll on her back since Saeko refused to drag around an ugly trunk.

„Hey, it works for me! The ladies dig it" Jiraiya reacted indignantly.

Totally ignoring the oldest of the group Saeko hugged her brother „I'll miss you brother. I promise to do my best and do you and Konoha proud. Oh, and be happy and merry as per your orders". Saeko smirked at the last part.

„I'll miss you too little sister. Remember what we talked about. I love you" Itachi gave Saeko a rare smile.

Jiraiya was gobsmacked at the display of emotion and affection but recuperated quickly „Ok girl. We'll return now. You have your directives. And if it turns out to be just a waste of time you are authorized to return to Konoha. Enjoy your stay!"

„I'm no girl, I'm a chuunin of Konoha" Saeko glared and waved goodbye at the ninja duo.

The young Uchiha walked towards the bright red train with her hands in her pockets. When she looked over her shoulder she found her superiors missing. She sighed and resumed walking meanwhile enjoying the pained expressions of students who were struggling with their heavy luggage.

XXX

Saeko sat in an empty compartment reading a scroll from the Uchiha library concerning the sharingan, jotting notes to its relation and reaction to magic while fiddling with her own wand. Her musing was interrupted by a polite knock on the door frame.

„May I join you? You seem not that prone to conversation and the compartments I just passed were getting awfully crowdy and loud" said the intruder.

The kunoichi looked up from her work to look at the girl that spoke. She was an obvious first year like Saeko despite being fairly tall. Her long dirty blond hair was left unbound and she was already in her school robes. With her stormy grey eyes she was a quite an aristocratic beauty.

„Sure" Saeko smiled and returned to her work. She could see the newcomer was not much interested in conversation either.

The blonde smiled slightly in return ad sat down by the window, opposite Saeko and opened the book she was holding – Arithmancy theory.

Both girl sat in a comfortable silence reading their respective material for quite a while but were interrupted by another knock on the door, this time a more vigorous one.

„Hey, can we sit here?" said one of the girls at the door with a blinding smile.

Both Saeko and the blonde sighed in unison and looked at the duo, hoping they get the hint. The second girl didn't even wait for an answer and dragged her luggage inside. „You are first years too right? I'm Heidi Bright!"

„And I am Myra Allen. You?" said the girl with pigtails.

Saeko motioned to the blonde to go first if she so wished and begun packing the scrolls, not wishing to be questioned on them.

While the newcomers were storing their trunks the reader responded with a mild frown „My name is Helena Grey".

„And I'm Uchiha Saeko" replied the kunoichi. Since her previous reading materials were safely stored within a sealing scroll she unsealed one of the Hogwarts books.

„Whoa, that was cool Uchiha, what kind of spell was that? And what name is Uchiha, where are you from?" Myra asked when she finally sat down. Helena smirked and returned to her book but listening nonetheless.

„Uchiha is the name of my clan, Saeko is my name. And the spell is a Konoha secret – my home" Saeko lifted her eyebrows at the nosiness.

„Where is Konoha? And why you said your name like that?" Heidi asked.

Before Saeko could answer Helena surprisingly spoke „I would assume somewhere around Japan. As far as I know most of the Asian cultures say their surname first, name second. You said clan – like nobility?"

Saeko looked at the blonde in surprise „You are right, somewhere around Japan. The second part is also correct".

Heidi looked awed „So you are a pureblood I read about? I'm new to all this".

„Back home we don't have such distinction, what matters is rank and clan status" the brunette replied airily.

„Hm, interesting" said Helena and returned to her book. Saeko did too, not really wishing to delve into the matter further.

„I'm a half blood, my mother's a witch and papa is a wizard…" Myra begun but Saeko tuned her out. Myra and Heidi merrily chatted away not really noticing.

When another girl joined them Saeko just gave her name and not interacted further. They were deemed 'hopeless Ravenclaws' and were left alone for the rest of the ride until an older woman with a trolley offered food and candy.

The girls immediately went for their orders except for Helena who shook her head and Saeko. „Hey, Helena. Any suggestions? I never had wizarding candy".

The blonde actually closed her book, keeping a finger inside as bookmark. „Well I guess it's not that different from what you have in Japan, it just varies in name. Chocolate, licorice is international I would guess" Helena shrugged. But then smirked almost evilly „Be adventurous. Though I would discourage you from buying the Every Flavour Beans, they can be quite nasty".

„Licorice, I like licorice. Thanks" Saeko smiled and went to the cart.

XXX

„_We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to school separately"._

The trio of chatting girls who changed into their school robes hurried out excitedly. Helena waited for them to be gone and then took a tiny box out of her pocket. Waving her wand over it with a muttered incantation the box enlarged itself into a normal sized trunk.

„Nifty" said Saeko.

Helena curtsied with a smile „You must have something nifty as well since I don't see your trunk. Oh, and you really should be wearing the uniform".

Saeko smirked and pointed to the large sealing scroll „No worries, I've got the uniform covered. Let's go?"

The blonde just shrugged and left the compartment, Saeko hot on her tail.

When they left the train a booming voice was heard from a giant of a man „Firs'-years! Firs'-years over here!" The two girls joined the large group of young students that was gathering before the man. Saeko inconspicuously channeled chakra into her ANBU tattoo that changed her clothes into the uniform. When Helena glanced back at Saeko she noticed the change but only raised an eyebrow.

„C'mon follow mew – any more first's years? Mind yer step, now! Firs'-years follow me!"

The large group of students took off with the giant, stumbling in the dark until they reached the waterfront. „Only four in a boat!" the man shouted the instructions.

Helena joined Saeko in a boat along with two other girls who quickly introduced themselves. The ride was uneventful till they could see the actual castle. It was a magnificent sight. Hogwarts stood proudly in the moonlight and the water reflected the clear sky and the shining stars.

When the students disembarked they were led up a trail to the castle entrance. The giant knocked and the huge gate opened revealing a stern looking witch „Thank you Hagrid, I will take it from here."

The witch in emerald robes led them further until they reached a plain room „Welcome to Hogwarts, I'm professor McGonagall". She then proceeded to brief them on the Houses and other technical matters.

When they were left alone nervous chatter ensued. Saeko glanced at Helena "Nervous?"

"Not really. You just wear a hat in front of hundreds of people. Piece of cake" the blonde shrugged.

Saeko smirked "I hope no one pukes from stage fright". Helena chuckled.

Professor McGonagall returned and led the firsties into the Great Hall. All the older students were already there, sitting around four long tables. The old witch kept walking until they reached the table where the professors sat. There was a small stool onto where the professor put and old pointed hat. After a moment of silence the Hat started singing of all things.

After the students endured the song McGonagall spoke "When I call your name sit on the stool and wear the Hat. After you are sorted you may join the table of your new House. Allen Myra!"

The girl Saeko shared the train compartment with shakily went towards the Sorting Hat. Myra put the hat on and it went over her eyes. Few moments passed and finally it shouted "Gryffindor!"

The table on the far left erupted in applause as Myra joined them. Professor McGonagall called out another name and the process was repeated. Saeko zoned out knowing her name will be called among the last, only resurfacing for Helena's name. "Ravenclaw" was shouted after long deliberation.

When only a quartet of new students remained Saeko finally heard her name "Uchiha Saeko!"

The young chuunin confidently strode towards the stool not minding the stares in the slightest. She put the hat on and leisurely crossed her legs.

„_Hmm, interesting. A ninja, unprecedented… By the very nature of your profession I should put you in Slytherin. Brave but not spontaneously, loyal but only to your comrades. Your most prominent character features are knowledge seeking and ambition. Ambitious indeed"_

„I would prefer Ravenclaw from what I've read. I'm ambitious yes, but my ambition lies elsewhere, as far as another continent. I am here solely for knowledge" Saeko thought.

„_Hm. If you just want to study in peace then your place is indeed in _RAVENCLAW!" the Hat shouted the last part for all to hear.

Saeko took the Hat off and headed to the applauding table. She plopped down on the far end of the table where Helena was seated among other first-years. They nodded to each other with a slight smile. Ultimately they were joined by all three remaining newbies.

When the Sorting ceremony was complete Dumbledore made a speech to welcome the new students as well as the old. Saeko wished to be it over soon since she was famished. The bearded headmaster finished the speech with non-sense words and the food appeared.

„Finally" the girl beside Saeko breathed out and scooped some green beans onto her plate. Saeko smirked and imitated her.

When the first wave of hunger passed first conversations started. The brunette next to Saeko apparently thought so too „I'm Ashley, Ashley Weir. How's it going".

Saeko liked Ashley and her attitude „I'm Uchiha Saeko. And now that I'm fed it's actually going fairly well".

Ashley smirked "I see what you mean".

"I guess it would be better if we could have something else than this atrocious tea" Helena joined the conversation. When the two brunettes turned to her she added "I'm Helena Grey".

"Hm. Grey and you like tea. That's practically a joke in the making" Ashley smiled.

"The joke would be on you since I'm indeed one of the Grey. THE Grey" Helena smirked imperiously.

Saeko finally got the point of the dialogue "As in Earl Grey?"

The blonde bowed her head "Our family has been in the tea business for generations."

"Cool I guess" said Ashley, "My folks are archeologists, in the muggle world actually, despite dad being a wizard".

Saeko perked up „History is rather fascinating. I'm quite interested in your country's history and legends!"

"From your name I would guess Japan?" Ashley speculated.

When the kunoichi nodded Ashley continued "Fascinating history right there. You will have to tell me something about your home!"

Saeko sighed "Actually I can't. All I'm allowed to say is that I am from Konohagakure no Sato. We are very secretive, no offence".

Both girls were taken aback. Ashley didn't relent „Ookay. That's it? For example what your folks do, you know ours. A bit of a quid pro quo?"

"All my clan and I are… we call ourselves shinobi, so soldiers? Yeah, I guess that's it" Saeko obliged.

„Oh. Hey, wait! You said you too?" Ashley asked. Saeko nodded so the shorter brunette continued „You are 11, you can't be a soldier!"

„I'm 12 in two months actually. But your argument is invalid – most shinobi children graduate and become genin, the lowest rank, at this age. Being of a prestigious clan and fairly … talented I graduated at 8, same as my brother. I actually achieved the middle rank, chuunin, already" Saeko finished, clearly proud of herself.

Both girls looked incredulous at first but then both their eyes zeroed on Saeko's scar, making them wonder. Helena eyed her warily „A tradition I assume then. But you said graduate, that means you've been in your kind of school then".

„Yeah, I was already taught our kind of magic - the basics in the Shinobi Academy, then apprenticeship to a jounin shinobi and ultimately my promotion to chuunin. I'm here to learn your kind of magic. Very different and quite fascinating" Saeko explained.

„So" Ashley begun but the Uchiha interjected „And that's exactly why I can't tell you not much of anything - it's classified, a Konoha or Clan secret".

Helena nodded, a bit apprehensively „Then it's best not to discuss it here. I admit that I'm curious, perhaps another time?" Ashley nodded eagerly.

„Perhaps" smiled Saeko, seeing the girls didn't fear her. It was a bit of a risk on her part but she refused to pretend to be something else than herself for seven years.

After that they engaged in a less important conversation till Dumbledore gave his goodnight speech. His last request shocked most of the new students. Saeko frowned deeply „I refuse to sing, no way in hell, especially this lyrics".

Helena nodded in assent "I believe you could use my singing as a weapon back home". Saeko chuckled at that while Ashley took great pleasure in singing with her rather melodical voice that contrasted with the rock tune she chose.

After the torture was over an older boy and girl approached the firsties. The girl addressed them first "Hello new Ravens, I'm Vanessa Flanery and this is Geoffley Mitchell, we are the Ravenclaw prefects. When this mayhem dies out we will be showing you to the dorms".

The firsties seated themselves once again and patiently waited for the Great Hall to clear up. When only few students remained Geoffrey stood up and said "If you would come with us".

XXX

The horde stopped in front of a beautifully carved winged knocker in the center of a grand fresco on the wall. Vanessa let the firsties admire the view for a while but then she spoke „This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower. You have to knock and the door guardian will ask you a question or a riddle which you will have to answer to gain entrance. If you don't know the answer wait for another student or try our Head of House – his office is just down the hall.

Geoffrey proceeded to give them a demonstration and after giving the right answer the guardian let them pass.

The new Ravenclaws entered their new common room, already populated by some of the older students who looked at the rookies with mild interest. The room itself was spacious and airy. It had many arched windows overlooking the surrounding mountains, framed by deep blue curtains that swayed gently in the breeze. Where the walls lacked windows they held tall bookcases with clearly second-hand books which many firsties eyed avidly. The ceiling was painted blue with stylized stars shimmering in the light. The floor was wooden and the same dark colour as the furniture. Stone replaced wood around three massive fireplaces.

The room was filled with fat and cushy armchairs that looked quite comfortable to just sit in and read as well as some tables with classroom chairs for group study. The circular shape of the room clearly indicated that they are indeed in one of the many castle towers. Two stairways led to the upper levels and the dorms. Next to the entrance a larger-than-life statue of Helena Ravenclaw stood proudly, complete with the fabled diadem.

„Impressive" and „Wow" were the most popular reactions to their new residence.

The prefects nodded and Geoffrey called for attention „We Ravens are famed for our knowledge and wit – as you can see that fact is reflected by our common room and dorms. As such you will be sharing a room with only one classmate whereas other houses share with many. Your rooms are basic but you are welcome to improve them."

"We pride ourselves with our studies so try not to disrupt your housemates that are studying, especially the 5 and 7 years" Vanessa said sternly, „You are also encouraged to form study groups and help each other thus helping Ravenclaw as a whole. Pay special attention to potions – professor Snape enjoys to ridicule and take points".

"Any questions?" Geoffrey asked.

"When are we getting our timetables?" Helena asked confidently.

The prefect nodded in acknowledgment "Tomorrow at breakfast. That reminds me – tomorrow morning our Head of House, professor Flitwick, will be addressing you. At 7.30, don't be late! Anything else?"

The firsties stayed silent so the Geoffrey led the boys up one set of stairs while Vanessa took the girls up the second.

Finally Saeko found herself in front of a plain door which held her name and one other. „Seems you are my roommate" said Ashley with a smile.

Saeko reciprocated the action and opened the door. Then with a wink and a bow she let Ashley walk in first.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw just made most sense to me… Plus it's my favorite House by far. Thoughts?<strong>


	5. 1- 05 Day One

***Day One***

Saeko woke up in a new, strange room with a start. It took her a few moments to realize she was in her bedroom in Ravenclaw tower. Her roommate was sleeping still so the kunoichi looked at her alarm clock. Seeing it was still early she decided to unpack the rest of her things silently as not to wake Ashley than was still asleep even after Saeko returned from her bathroom routine.

The Uchiha took her scroll she leaned against the wall last night, too tired to organize her stuff then. When she was done with her clothes she moved to her books, a much greater challenge. Finally she decided to put her English books into her appointed bookshelf with the exception of those they had bought outside Diagon Alley. Her Konoha scrolls and the less savory books were kept in their appropriate sealing scrolls, locked by her blood and chakra.

With another glance at the clock she changed into her school uniform, admiring the new blue and bronze crest. She donned her black gloves, both for familiarity and to carry the Konoha symbol as well as the clan one. Both her wands were kept at her wrist by the holster she had bought at Ollivanders'. She marveled at the invisibility feature for a while and then she put her wide sleeves over them.

The last decision was about her shinobi weapons. It was clear if she were to be caught with them she would go straight to Dumbledore's office, definitely not good for the relations with Konoha. Her tantō was kept in the sealing tattoo she usually reserved for her battle fan. Finally she tucked a throwing knife into her boot and foregoing anything else.

When everything was in place she looked at her image in a full-length mirror that she brought it with her from Konoha. Uchiha are many things, vain is among them.

"Mornin'" said Ashley with a yawn.

"Ohayo" Saeko replied with a smile, "Slept well?"

The shorter brunette rubbed her eyes "It was ok. It is a strange feeling not waking up in my bedroom back home though. Been awake long?"

"I'm an early riser" her roommate said with a smile. As Ashley went on with her morning routine Saeko went downstairs to the common room.

The common room was already crowded, many students connecting after the holidays. Some first-years that were early risers too or were just too nervous to sleep were sitting on the plush chairs near the entrance awaiting their Head of House. Helena was among them, talking quietly with the female prefect from yesterday.

Saeko approached the blonde just as Vanessa excused herself „Ohayo Helena, how was your night?"

„Oh, good morning Saeko. It was dreadful. My roommate is clearly a very, very enthusiastic muggleborn who could not sleep from excitement. So tossing and turning all night, unpacking her whole trunk and shuffling of pages of the potion book. But I am willing to excuse her since it's the first day here. You?" Helena replied with a sigh.

„Ouch. Mine was ok. Who's your roommate?" Saeko asked with interest.

Helena turned inconspicuously and pointed at a very nervous looking petite black girl with a mass of dark curls „That's her. Michelle something, Farrow or Ferrow, something like that."

Saeko hummed as she surveyed the small first year and sat down. Crossing her legs she proceeded to point at various students and speculating about them with Helena, all in good fun.

Half an hour later they were joined by Ashley „Wotcher ninja, tea heiress".

The Uchiha was amused by the greeting, her companion not so much „Don't start dirt digger. Ninja?"

„Just being merry in the morning" Ashley waved dismissively „Ninja because she's a soldier in Japan. And samurai won't cut it with her figure". Saeko smirked.

Before they could go any further the Tower entrance opened and a diminutive old wizard made his way in. All the older student greeted him with a chorus of „Good morning professor Flitwick!" and went on with their business.

Geoffrey, the prefect from the day before called for attention „Ok, firsties, listen up!"

The small wizard smiled at the gathered students „Good morning young ravens. As you may have guessed I am Filius Flitwick, the charms professor and your Head of House, welcome to Hogwarts. Most of the information was given to you yesterday by professor McGonagall or the prefects, never hesitate to ask of you have further questions. Each House has 6 prefects, they are recognizable by the badge, they will be escorting you to classes the first few times - the castle is quite large and one can get easily lost. You may also go to me with your problems".

Flitwick paused to let the information sink in and smiled warmly at his new charges. „I hope you will enjoy the life in the castle and your studies. Always strive to do your best both with your studies and outside of them. I hope you will not be greedy with your knowledge and help your friends and classmates".

The professor then clapped his hands „Well, maybe with your help we could finally win the Cup! Well I shall see you in my class. I will not keep you from breakfast any longer."

When the small man left an older student, a prefect, gathered the firsties and lead them to the Great Hall.

XXX

„Cut it out you two! So breakfast was not up to your standards, deal with it" Ashley exclaimed as they claimed their places in the classroom dedicated to History of Magic.

Helena rolled her eyes „I'm just saying I need to find a way to brew my own tea. I am a connoisseur and this just doesn't cut it".

Saeko unsealed a notebook for the lesson and the sharpest of her quills – she refused to carry a bag if fuinjutsu was a better option „And I merely pointed out that having greasy food and beans and the rest of your so called breakfast is illogical for our type of activity. I would understand if we were cutting down trees in the morning, not sitting on our butts writing. I myself prefer Japanese style morning meal, much more balanced."

Ashley didn't react, just took her stuff out of the bag and crossed her arms in wait for the professor to arrive. Helena smirked at the surrender.

The Gryffindors with whom the Ravens shared the class arrived in small groups just minutes before the bell. The general consensus was that they had to find the classroom by themselves.

When the bell finally rung their professor arrived… through the blackboard. The new students were startled but eventually shook it off.

The History class turned out to be quite a disappointment. Professor Binns failed at capturing not even a sliver of the student's attention. Gryffindors gave up in the first ten minutes while the Ravens held out much longer, some even till the end of the lecture. The rest of the Ravenclaws took out the History book and read the material there instead.

When the prefects came to collect their charges to lead them to Defense Against the Dark Arts one of them asked with a knowing smile „So? How was it?"

The first-years merely glared in response, most of them silently praying for the next class to be more... anything.

During the transit to DADA Ashley was sputtering in outrage at her favourite subject of all, absolutely furious about Binns. Helena and Saeko took great pleasure in repeating all her previous comments like 'Suck it up' and similar.

Arriving at a classroom on the third floor finally managed to shut down the history discussion. Annoyance towards Binns was replaced by anticipation for the next lesson.

The Hufflepuffs were already seated, taking over the right side of the classroom. Saeko sped slightly pulling her friends along and managed to procure the front seats.

„Hello" greeted a calm voice from the doorway. A tall, well-built man entered and headed for the teacher's desk. „I am professor Littlefied and I will be teaching you how to defend yourselves against dark arts and creatures. Today I will be going over the curriculum for this year and later we will delve into the theory of the subject. I shall tackle the big questions such as what are the dark arts, the dark creature classification and other things. I expect precise note-taking during this lesson as it is the core for this class for the next seven years. We begin now."

XXX

„Much better" Helena commented.

Saeko nodded in assent „True, it was most enlightening. But I look forward to more practical lessons. The spells he talked about were quite fascinating. Didn't know your people were so vicious, I mean the entrails-vomiting curse? We are ninja back home but this is too much. It's disgusting and frankly, why bother."

„Well, I can tell you for sure that we will not be learning that one" Ashley crinkled her nose.

„Nothing is more appropriate before lunch as talk of entrails" Helena glared at the two brunettes.

Ashley perked up immediately „Right, lunch! Hope it's something good, I'm starving!"

XXX

„I would guess you are not in the mood to listen to my ranting about English food, right?" Saeko joked putting her fork down.

„Yep", „Indeed", were the reactions.

„Thought so. Well it's a free period now before charms, I was thinking I would go for a run and work off lunch, maybe explore the castle and grounds a bit" the Uchiha laid down her intentions.

Helena used a napkin and said „Well, good luck with that. I think I will be writing to my family and do something with my room".

„Hey, that's a good idea" Ashley waved her knife.

Saeko lunged across the table and took it from her hand „Disgusting. Well it's your choice lazy-asses. And Ashley, try not to destroy our room. See ya at Charms."

XXX

„Kuchiose no Jutsu!" Saeko called for her summons.

A slightly larger-than-life albino raven answered her call „Hey, Saa – eko!" he sing-songed.

„Hey Lykke, how are things back home?" Saeko smiled, pleased to see her favourite messenger.

The raven landed on a low branch near his summoner „You know you left Konoha not even two full days ago, right? I would say everything is just fine. So, this is England heh? The forest looks like the one in training ground 44."

„It's Scotland actually. And this forest is supposedly out of bounds, but I like it here" Saeko shrugged.

„Figures" Lykke made a sound that was supposed to be a snort, "Well, why am I here, not that I'm not happy to see you".

„Get a message to Itachi – I would give my initial report in five days in the summoner's realm if he could meet me there" the ninja instructed.

„Sure. Anything else?" the albino queried.

„If he could bring me some premium green tea, I know someone who would greatly appreciate" Saeko smirked predatorily.

„Oke-dokey, see ya saturday" Lykke said before disappearing in a poof of smoke.

XXX

„Our room still intact?" said Saeko lightly tapping her roommate on her shoulder.

Ashley jumped in fright and turned around „Goddamn! Saeko! You really are a ninja. Please never sneak up to me again".

„No promises" the braided brunette smirked.

„Well you are just in time, we were about to enter" Helena chuckled at Ashley's discomfort.

The Charms classroom was big and circular, built as an amphitheatre. It looked like the House separation would continue in this class as well – Slytherins took the left side of the seats while Ravenclaws sat on the right. Saeko defiantly took a border sat next to a beautiful redhead wearing green ad silver.

Helena arched an eyebrow but sat next to her. Ashley chose a seat the row beneath the girls with a Ravenclaw boy she obviously knew „Saeko, Helena this is Peter Hill a friend of mine". The boy waved in greeting. Helena greeted him in return while Saeko merely nodded and smiled.

Peter and Ashley talked animatedly in their seats while the Helena took out her things „How was your run?" she asked with closed eyes when she was finished.

„Meh, the lake is quite beautiful. I haven't gotten that far but overall typical Scotland countryside from what I've seen and read" Saeko looked out a classroom window.

„Welcome to Charms everybody!" said the cheerful professor Flitwick as he climbed a small pedestal before his desk, „I will be taking attendance now".

When he was done he proceeded to give an introductory speech and then spoke about proper wand-holding. When only half an hour remained till the bell Flitwick finally showed them their first spell – Tempus.

„Nothing fancy but at least it's something" Peter whispered to Ashley one row beneath them.

Saeko silently agreed but took what was offered, at least the spell was useful. From now on she could lose the watch and know time and date by a simple flick of wand.

XXX

Saeko entered her room and immediately spotted Ashley's improvements – several muggle music posters adorned the walls of her side. The biggest one, the one above the bed, was of Guns N' Roses if the script were to be believed. Also a big encased papyrus hung near the entrance depicting some kind of ceremony.

Her stuff was also unpacked complete with several knick-knacks such as photo-frames. The kunoichi took time to look at a smiling trio on some ancient ruin. Ashley was looking very much like her mum especially in her Lara Croft gear. Saeko smiled at the picture.

Seeing that her side was bare with the exception of the bookshelves and the mirror Saeko decided that a bit of redecoration was in order.

Hanging up a banner with the Uchiha crest was a given as well as a few photos with Itachi and some of her Konoha friends. Afterwards she unsealed some blank hanging scrolls used for calligraphy, deciding to fill them when inspiration strikes.

Moving to her table she unsealed her brushes and ink and two big scrolls. One she labeled 'Mahoujutsu' in kana, meant to be filled with spells and curses useful for shinobi and the second 'Miscellaneous spells' for those she found less adaptable. Opening the second one she dotted the specification of the single spell she had learned so far. She resealed them when she was finished.

Dipping the brush in the ink once more she began writing her report for the Hokage.

XXX

There was a knock on the door and Ashley came in „We are heading to dinner".

Saeko nodded in thanks and blew on the ink to dry it faster. Rolling it up she stood and pocketed the scroll. While waiting Ashley was looking at the new room adjustments „I approve, my posters are better though. What's that?"

„My clan's crest" Saeko explained proudly. Ashley made a give me more motion. „It's a japanese fan, the fan increases the flame, makes it stronger and hotter. Let's say we Uchiha like our fire". She finished with a slightly insane glint in her eye.

„Pyromaniac" Ashley muttered exiting the room. Saeko chuckled and went after her to get dinner.

XXX

„Much better, I think Hogwarts kitchens are learning" Saeko stretched.

Ashley looked at her friend in disbelief „You ate only rice. White rice and some of the meat without the sauce".

„Much better, as I was saying. Asian, remember?" the brunette patted her belly in satisfaction.

Helena shrugged „I had written home for some tea and a kettle, maybe I can solve my dissatisfaction as well. I only need a heat source".

Ashley rolled her eyes „Uchiha here is a pyromaniac, maybe she can help".

„Or Helena could always use the fire in the common room…" Saeko glared.

„Oh" the shorter brunette smiled sheepishly.

The blonde actually laughed as she knocked on the Tower's entrance and gave an answer after some deliberation. „Any plans for the evening?" Helena asked.

Ashley shrugged „Bonding with classmates? I don't know half the names of Ravenclaw first-years".

„Do we have to" Helena sighed half-heartedly.

The shorter brunette rolled her eyes „Not very social are you?"

„I would prefer going into the Library, father said it is enormous, books on any magical subject" the pureblood grinned.

Saeko pulled her into a one-armed hug „Nah, I'll be good for you. Maybe we could play a game."

Helena's eyes actually lit up „Game? Oh, I absolutely love poker! Have you spare cash?"

Ashley sat down on an armchair near a window „Great, a pyromaniac and a gambler. I guess we could play, father taught me when he played with his buddies. Our classmates could join us if interested".

„I'll get the cards!" the blonde exclaimed and ran up the stairs.

Saeko sat next to Ashley „Didn't see her that excited since her talk about white tea this morning."

„Well, I asked for social" the Brit shrugged. She spotted Peter and two his friends „Hey, Pete, fancy some poker?"

The three boys looked at each other and approached the duo. They sat down as Helena returned with several decks still in their wrappings. „I'll be the dealer" she grinned when she sat down and unwrapped one pack and shuffled the cards expertly.

Peter looked at the dealers hand in admiration „This is Graham and Patrick".

„Hi", „Call me Paddy" the boys introduced themselves.

The talkative brunette pointed at herself and the girls „Ashley, Saeko and the card magician here is Helena."

„Less chatting, more playing" Helena said sternly and proceeded to explain the rules. She dealt each player two cards and warned them „Oh and so you know we are playing for money. Entry is five knuts, you can raise up to ten. Since I would guess you don't have your copper with you I'll be recording the bets into my notebook."

Graham gulped glancing once at the grinning Helena. Paddy, Peter and the girls looked excited.

The excitement lasted only three games which the Grey heiress won with her stony facade. Laying down her fourth winning hand she licked her pencil and wrote down the sum while cackling evilly.

„Ok, now I'm getting scared too" Peter joked half-heartedly.

As the games progressed the poker group begun attracting quite a bit of attention, especially Ashley's shouts of triumph and the weird dance Patrick performed upon his victory. Even some of the older students abandoned their books and formed an audience. By this time the game welcomed two more firsties – an Irish girl, Caitlin, and a bespectacled boy, Daniel.

„And this is how we kick ass back home!" Saeko exclaimed having won with her diamonds flush. Polite clapping ensued with some chuckles interspersed among them.

Helena snorted „Rejoice now while you can, I will show you the proper British way. Your arse is mine!"

„Are you propositioning me?" Saeko smirked. The group snickered. One of the prefects actually bent in two laughing. Helena turned bright red when she got the joke.

Ashley was grinning widely „You really don't fight fair Saeko. A ninja indeed". Saeko bowed her head at the praise.

„Moving on" Paddy smirked, „I think I'm getting the hang of it. Come on Helena, deal the cards."

The still blushing blonde obliged and the game was resumed. That is until the seventh year female prefect clapped her hands „It's approaching midnight and we should be heading to bed. Especially you, first-years. Tomorrow is a long day and only the second of the week. Do yourselves a favour and go get some rest".

The older students shrugged, most of them climbing the stairs that headed to the dorms. Ashley yawned „I guess we should".

Helena nodded and begun packing her cards. The boys waved them goodbye and retired too „Goodnight!"


	6. 1- 06 More lessons

***More lessons***

Saeko and her two friends were sitting in the second row of the transfiguration classroom waiting for the bell to ring. The ninja was humming in antecipation – this subject was the most foreign to her, no jutsu had such transformative abilities.

The Gryffindors were chatting loudly, also anxious to begin. The only thing out of place in the classroom was a tabby cat sitting on the teacher's desk. „Professor McGonagall is a cat lady?" Ashley whispered.

The bell rung and the cat jumped, transforming in mid leap into their transfiguration professor.

„Cat lady indeed" Saeko whispered back with a smirk.

McGonagall surveyed them sternly and gave the obligatory speech about her subject. She finished with a stern warning. To prove her point she unsheathed her wand and transformed her desk into a pig and back again among the „ooohs" of the students.

Saeko cursed herself for not having the sharingan active. That was some piece of magic, one she would gladly learn. She imagined Orochimaru loitering around as a pig with an evil smile.

The first-years had to write down a huge amount of intructions and then all students recieved a match and were told to tranfigure it into a needle.

„Could you show us?" Saeko asked.

The Gryffindor's Head of House raised and eyebrow so Saeko continued „Instuctions are fine but seeing the actual spell is another matter altogether ". Several Ravens nodded.

The kunoichi activated her three tomoe sharingan and closely observed the process. When the show was over the students tried to replicate the feat.

Saeko flicked her hand to draw her wand and looked at the match in challenge. Modulating her chakra, her magic to mimic McGonagall's magic flow she repeated the wand movements and words.

Her Uchiha birthright had come true „Excellent miss Uchiha" the professor exclamed in surprise „10 points for Ravenclaw. Try it again."

Most of the students stopped their efforts and watched the ninja concentrating again. The tranfiguration was quicker this time, much to Saeko's satisfaction. She resolved to practice to make the effect near instantanious.

„Very good miss Uchiha. Was it your first try?" McGonagall asked. At Saeko's nod she continued „Remarcable. Practice the spell to speed it up. The next step would be mutliple matches all at once. Keep at it" she finished with a rare smile.

Helena mock-glared at the ninja, having only managed to change the matches' colour to silver. Saeko smirked in challenge and tranfigured another match from the packet she recieved from the teacher.

„Challenge accetpted" Helena whispered.

When the class was over most of the ravenclaws managed various degrees of change. Along with Saeko Helena, Daniel and a Gryffindor girl managed the complete change. Despite the success they all have been given homework.

„I'll definitely get it next time" Ashley proclaimed. Helena ans Saeko smirked at her determined face.

„Free period now, any plans? We could play again" Helena asked.

Saeko merely put her hand in her pockets „I'm low on cash. How about we check out the library?"

„We could. And do the homework while we are there, I hate to study in the evenigs" the short brunette yawned.

„And brush up on potions, we've got double feature in the afternoon. Father told me to keep my head down and hope I know all the answers" Helena told them and asked the prefect that was supposed to escort them around for directions.

XXX

„Your dad gives the best advice" Ashley said tiredly when they left the class in the dungeons.

„Indeed. We were pretty lucky, we lost points only once, unfair as it was. Far luckier than the Puffs" Saeko said in annoyance.

Helena bowed her head „I'll pass that along."

„Oh, how's your roomie? Snape was a dick to her" Saeko turned looked over her shoulder at the blonde.

The heiress shrugged „Don't know, I guss I'll find out in the evening. I don't like her much either to be honest though."

The two British girls decided to return to the Tower while Saeko decided to train - her position in Konoha forces recquired always being in her peak physical condition. Changing clothes, courtesy of fuinjutsu, she activated her weights and headed outside.

XXX

„You missed dinner" Helena said nonchalantly while drinking a cup of tea.

„Yeah, you missed the huge delivery from Grey household. That poor owl must've carried a full set of china" Ashley snorted.

Saeko arched an eyebrow at that sitting down beside the blonde which replied at the jab „It was mainly tea leaves. Want a cuppa?"

„Yes actually, thanks" the ninja smiled, „I'll take it upstairs, I have some more stuff to go over".

Helena was brewing the tea while humming happily. Ashley shrugged and went to see what Peter was doing.

Taking the hot beverage Saeko retired into her room. Once there she decided against the potions essay in favour for transfiguration. Unsealing several branches and her knife she made an armful of big splinters. Drawing her wand she began her little experiment – transforming splinters into senbon.

An hour later or so there was a knock on the door and Ashley came in. Saeko looked up from her work „Not feeling social any more?"

„Not really, bit homesick. Would you mind a little music?" the younger brunette asked tiredly.

The chuunin was intrigued „Not in the slightest." She looked as ther roommate reached into her closet and took a beautuful guitar from it.

Ashley sat herself on the bed and begun playing a slow sad song. Saeko smiled at the music but then she got an idea. Reachng into her closet in turn she unsealed four strips of paper with numerous kanji on them. Slapping each one in the corners of the room she chanelled chakra into them and with a satisfied smile she returned at her desk.

„What was that?" the Brit asked eyeing the seal near her head not stopping her tune.

„A version of Konoha wards, privacy wards to be exact. We could party here and no one would be none the wiser" Saeko explained, „Don't touch them, please."

„Oh, okay. So you sure I won't disturb anyone?" Ashley asked. At the comfirmation she continued „Very cool."

Saeko was mildly concerned about her roommate studying shinobi seals so she decided to prevent their replication „You could not be able to activate them, it's a Konoha secret. And if you actually managed to make a viable replica they would probably blow up in your face. I'm not kidding, _never_, _ever_, play with fuinjutsu!"

„Ok, I got it. Do not worry, jeez!" Ashley said and resumed playing.

XXX

**Next day**

Wensday morning was uneventful, composed by Charms and History. After lunch it was Herbology's turn. Helena was adamant with her disgust with the subject. Her rant went on and on during their classes' descend to the greenhouses „It's filthy. I really don't understand why Herbology is not an elective. I have no intention in frolicking in dirt…"

Tuning her out they joined up with the Slytherin's in front of geenhouse 3. A motherly looking witch opened the doors „Good afternoon everybody, my name is Pomona Sprout. Come on in, come in. Pair up in front of the pots, do not dawdle."

The mass of students dutifully entered. Peter got hold of Ashley to pair up with. Helena turned to Saeko who waved her hands before her „No way darling, not after that speech". With a cheeky smile Saeko escaped the pouting blonde and she looked around for a capable-looking partner.

Finally she spotted the readhead from her first charms lesson, „Hi, would you mind pairing up with me?" she shot her a dazzling smile.

The girl looked her up and down again „Sure, but you are doing your share of work."

„That goes both ways. Uchiha Saeko" she extended her hand.

„Lauren Lewis" the red-head introduced herself.

The ninja moved to stand beside her in front of a pot as instructed „Nice alliteration."

Lauren smirked and bowed her head. Both girls begun paying attention as professor Sprout begun her lecture.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Tower**

„Come on, you have a whole stash of leaves, make me some tea. Pretty please?" Saeko smiled charmingly.

„Nope, I'm not parting with my 'precious stash' for you. Think of it as payback for herbology" Helena crossed her arms.

Ashley giggled and stretched on her bed. The trio decided to forgo being in the common room in favour for hanging out in Saeko and Ashley's room.

The ninja sighed in defeat and slumped into her chair. Looking at the smug blonde in the opposite chair she turned and grabbed a brush, getting inspiration for one of the hanging scrolls. Taking one of the blanks down she begun drawing grand kanji.

Helena looked intrigued but stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt. Ashley yawned and picked a book from her nightstand.

Saeko finished with fourish „Done. One kindness is the price of another."

Ashley called from her bed „Meaning?"

„A japanese preverb. And it means what it means. It looks pretty though, right?" the Uchiha admired her work.

The blonde heiress looked the scroll over „Indeed. I try calligraphy myself, chinese though. I'm not nearly as profficient."

„Well, it's Saeko's mother tongue. Wait, you speak chinese?" Ashley asked.

Helena shrugged „I study but it is quite hard. I'm also learning hindi. The major languages of tea traders, father insisted I learned if I were to take over his business one day."

„Cool" Ashley sat up on her bed.

The trio proceeded to talk about the two Brit's families and homes. Ashley's stories in particular were most intresting, tales of ancien ruins all over the world, myths and traditions of various people.

When Ashley finished an amusing story about a dig in Guatemala she turned to the ninja „Saeko, it's your turn now."

Saeko frowned „You know I can't tell you anything. Military secret. I wasn't joking about that."

„Come on, you can tell us something. Like if you have siblings, about your clan, something" Ashley prodded.

Helena nodded „Quid pro quo afterall."

„You should've been a Slytherin" Saeko said grumpily.

Helena actually grinned „Yeah, the Hat considered it, but I have absolutely no intrest in pureblood propaganda and the permanent pissing contest that goes on in that House."

„Oh, he considered that for me too" the kunoichi tried to divert from the previous topic.

„I can see that. But you are not getting out of it" Helena smirked at thwarting her friend's plan.

Ashley slapped Saeko's shoulder „I see what you did! Come on, throw us a bone."

The Uchiha sighed „Ok, I will share bits and pieces in good will. I hope you will not betray my trust, it would be most unfortunate. For you that is". To reinforce the threat she activated her sharingan which she spun for maximum effect.

„Woah!" Ashley exclaimed, „What was that!" Helena looked a bit scared but nodded.

Saeko shrugged „A minor Uchiha spell, nice effect, don't you think".

The brits nodded. Saeko deactivated her bloodline and cleared her throat.

„I can't tell you the location but I am from Konohagakure no Sato – it means the village hidden in the leaves. The village's leader – the Hokage, is our military commander and along with the shinobi and civilian council governs our village with only minor outside influence. We are an independent entity. The shinobi council is composed by the noble clans, 8 in total."

Helena interjected before her friend could go on „You said you are a noble right?"

Saeko nodded „Yes. The Uchiha are the founding clan along with the Senju. Then on the council we have the Akimichi, Aburame, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Nara and Yamanaka. There are some other prestigious clans but without a seat – like Kurama, Hatake or Sarutobi."

Ashley made a go on motion. Saeko resumed „Konoha is a military village so most of the population is shinobi. We have three main ranks – genin, chuunin and jounin – low, mid and high level. You gain rank through experience, your ability to do magic and leadership skills. That's about it."

The english brunette smiled „Cool. Give us some stories, tell us about your family."

Saeko crinkled her nose „No stories, they are mainly classified. And I wish not to implicate any of my colleagues and friends. Maybe later if I think of some harmless moments. About my family, well, I have a brother. Itachi is both my niisan and my Clan Head and Lord."

„What about your parents?" Ashley asked.

Saeko looked her directly in the eyes „Dead, both of them."

Helena gasped „Oh my god! What happened?"

Without batting an eye Saeko answered "Oh, father slipped in the bathroom one day and stabbed himself twenty-two times when he fell. It was quite tragic."

The duo blinked in confusion. Finally Helena recovered „Oh, I get it. Very funny."

The ninja shrugged „Suffice to say he died, mother too. It was a while ago."

Ashley didn't know what to say so she settled with „Fair enough".

Helena stood up „Well, it's late so I'm gonna head to bed. I'm really sorry about your parents. Truly."

Saeko shrugged „Me too. Oh well. Goodnight."

XXX

**Saturday, Summoner****'s realm**

„I'm happy to see you all again. And thank you for allowing these meetings to take place with your strenght and chakra" greeted Saeko with a genuine smile.

„Nah, all you need milady" said one of the older ravens, „Styrke, take her to the crows".

A big midnight black raven flapped his wings. Saeko bowed slightly in thanks and mounted her summon.

The flight was not long but full of aerial tricks, Styrke was obviously enjoying himself. Saeko let out a hoot and bouts of happy laughter.

Itachi was already in position when the duo landed „Nii-sama", Saeko grinned.

„Little sister, good to see you alive and well. And happy as I can see, didn't hear your laughter in a long time" Itachi said with his stony face but his eyes shone.

„I'm actually enjoying my holiday. And Styrke is always a riot" the girl smiled.

„I'm glad. What do you have to report? It is what you thought it would?" the ninja queried.

The girl took out a scroll „Here is my report for the Hokage. Otherwise yes, my mission will prove useful. Potions and Herbology could be learned from books only and will be highly useful especially if taught to medics. Astronomy is useless. History is very intresting but of little matter to us. Which brings me to the wand trio – charms, transfiguration and defence against the dark arts. Those are perfect."

„I'm only a week in and I learned to produce as many senbon as you want, they last relatively long. Also a spell that knocks an opponent back and several others. The classes are going slow but the library is a treasure. Hey, did you know that they have a spell that mimics Yamanaka jutsu. And some very nasty ones like the torture curse. Spells for tracking, stealth, battle, healing they do have it all" Saeko finished, quite giddy.

Itachi frowned instead „Could they be a threat?"

„Not really, they relay only on spells and nothing more. A decent ninja could kill them in a blink of an eye. Or destroy the wand and they are harmless. And anticipating your next question: no, only we can use it as we are descendants of the Rikudou. The Senju could as well I guess. Magic is indeed a separate energy from chakra so even if Iwa nin were to travel to London they could do nothing to replicate their magic" Saeko paused in thought for a second, „I guess they could breed magicals but we control the passageway, the risk is roughly the same like in the Hyuuga incident".

The Lord Uchiha nodded „I see. I shall give your report to Hokage-sama". Itachi pocketed the scroll and poked Saeko's forehead, "Now that the business is done how about a little spar. You know the Hogwarts mission is dependant on you still being a capable ANBU of Konoha."

„Sure," Saeko grinned „I was thinking the same. And worry not, I keep myself in ravens were gracious enough to reverse summon me here for my jutsu and more destructive training. But Shadow Clones are not good enough opponents."

Both siblings looked into each other's eyes.

Several small crows and ravens were sitting on a high branch. One of the smaller ones asked Lykke „What are they doing? They are standing still, it's been more than ten minutes."

„They are Uchiha. They started with a genjutsu battle" the albino replied.

Finally Saeko threw a shuriken at her brother „Damn, you are good. A true master of illusions."

Itachi reacted with his own projectiles. The younger Uchiha had them sped up by fuuton chakra and Itachi was forced to evade. Soon it delved into a taijutsu fight, that is until Saeko simirked and took a deep breath. She would show her brother why she was called fire prodigy.

XXX

„Where have you been?" asked Ashley from behind her book on the disappearance of the Toltects.

„And why do you smell like ash. And what's with the clothes?" Helena chimed in.

Saeko released her hair from their tie and begun unbraiding them „This is a standard Konoha uniform. I was training, it got a little out of hand. I'm gonna take a shower".

The kunochi returned to the common room a hour later with soggy air, carrying a game board under her arm „Anyone fancy a game of shougi?"

Ashley lowered her book again „That's japanese chess right? No thanks, I hate thinking in the evenings".

Helena too lowered her book to take a look at the board „I don't know the rules but why not, I love chess".

„Sweet! I'll explain, no worries" the kunoichi set the board down and set up the pieces. The blonde closed her book and observed carefully.

The game was in full swing when Ashley got bored „Training what exactly?"

Saeko looked up from the board and waved her hand dismissivly „You know. Running, some punches and kicks, a bit of magic, waving pointy objects around, that kind of stuff."

„Oh" replied Ashley without much intrest and with her face in her hand she looked at the game. The kunoichi returned her attention back. Minutes later Ashley exclamed „Boooored! Come on Uchiha, say something funny".

Helena shot her friend a glare and decisively moved a lance piece. Saeko sratched her forhead and moved her piece accordingly. Finishing her move she stared blankly at the smaller brunette and said „Why does an Iwa ninja stare at the can of frozen orange juice? Because it said 'concentrate'".

Both Brits pursed their lips. „That was horrible Uchiha" Helena finally said.

Saeko shrugged.


	7. 1- 07 A Month In

***A Month In***

**Flitwick's office, Hogwarts, GB**

Saeko stood in front of her Head of House's office and knocked politely. A 'come in' order resounded from within. The girl entered confidently and bowed slightly „Flitwick-sensei, O'Shea-san said you wanted to see me?"

The diminutive wizard smiled and nodded „Indeed miss Uchiha, I'm happy you could join me. Please sit down. Tea?"

„No thank you professor" Saeko replied and sat down in front of the big desk and crossed her legs at the ankles, the very picture of a British lady even if she was not.

Flitwick poured himself a cup and sat back down „I'm sure you're wondering what this is about, as were all your peers" he begun, „This is merely a way for me to get to know the new Ravens and connect with them – I find it helps with teaching and helps build a bond of trust between my Ravens and I."

Saeko nodded in understanding, making a vague parallel to the genin introductions. Flitwick smiled „So, what are your thoughts of Hogwarts now that you've had a month to settle in? The headmaster told me you are from Japan and new to our magic, so how are you coping?"

The ninja took a moment to think „Well, the castle is beautiful, very different to what I'm used to. I hate your food though" Saeko smiled as did the charms professor. „Otherwise I like it here, your library the best. I find the lessons a bit slow though."

Flitwick nodded „Yes, your performance in both Minerva's class and my own is quite remarkable, managing every spell on your very first try. I think I could write you a list of some more advanced books so you could progress at your own pace if you are interested"

„That would be lovely" Saeko smiled, genuinely grateful to her teacher.

„How about your dorm situation, any problems?" he continued.

The kunoichi smiled „No, miss Weir is a great roommate and a friend."

„Excellent. Any other matters that I should know about?" asked the wizard.

„No sensei"

The wizard nodded „I'm glad to hear that. But if you need anything you are always welcome here". Saeko thanked him and stood up. „ If you could call here Mr Wallace."

„I shall, good day Flitwick-sensei" Saeko bowed.

„Same to you Miss Uchiha" the small man smiled.

XXX

Helena and Ashley were sitting in the common room when Saeko came through the passageway. Catching their eye the ninja went to them „Hey, do you know who Wallace is? He's the next in line for Flitwick's".

The blonde shook her head uninterestedly. Ashley looked around the room and pointed out a boy sitting at a nearby desk, writing. Saeko thanked her and approached her classmate to inform him about his meeting.

Having done her duty she sat on the floor near her friends. Helena looked from her book down at the Uchiha „So how was it?"

„I would guess pretty much the same as yours. I like Flitwick though, good teacher and seems like a good Head of House" Saeko mused.

Helena hummed in agreement. Ashley closed her eyes "I guess I'll find out soon, I am the last to go. Let me tell you, being at the end of the alphabet sucks."

Her friends didn't react at the exclamation so Ashley sighed in dismay. Before she could say anything they were approached by Caitlin O'Shea, a short-haired brunette „Hey girls, have you heard? We've got flying lessons tomorrow!"

The blonde sighed again „Hallelujah," she said sarcastically.

Ashley lit up as did Saeko. Caitlin grinned „You're not excited?"

„Not really, I like being firmly on the ground, thank you very much" Helena crossed her arms.

The Irish girl shrugged „Too bad. What about you guys?"

„I like it, I'm not very good on a broom but I like the view and the feeling of flight. Pity first-years are forbidden to bring brooms" Ashley replied.

Saeko grinned „I'm looking forward to it, I have never flown on a broom before."

Caitlin looked aghast and begun talking about brooms and flying to Saeko who absorbed the information like a sponge. Ashley soon joined in as Helena opened her book again after rolling her eyes at the three girls.

XXX

„This is getting boring" Ashley sighed as she performed a flawless transfiguration. Saeko was reading the book for the lesson so she just nodded.

Helena was twirling her wand, trying to think up some variations for the spell „Indeed, we have been at this three lessons already. The Gryffindors are sure slow, our House is all done."

„Just read ahead" Saeko told her.

„They normally take less than this, my guess they are too distracted by the upcoming quidditch match. They are playing Slytherin" Ashley mused.

„Mendokse" Saeko sighed. The Brits looked at her in question. „It means 'what a drag'". Both girls nodded. Ashley opened her book while Helena resumed her musings.

Finally Caitlin got fed up and raised her voice „Professor? Could you throw us a bone here? We are all done."

McGonagall glared at the girl „You can start the homework I planned to give you today."

„Swell" Peter murmured.

The Gryffindor who didn't manage a complete transformation yet glared at the ravens, Caitlin in particular. Work resumed and the Ravenclaws begun copying their assignment from the board.

„Well, at least we can take some comfort that we are upholding the 'smart and witty' tradition of our House as we are steamrolling others in classes" Paddy whispered loud enough for his housemates to hear. Chuckles ensued. The Lions glared at them again, some muttering.

„Yeah, it particularly shows in House points – we are ahead, only the Slytherins are close" Michelle said proudly.

Peter shook his head „But that will only last till the weekend". Seeing her puzzled expression he elaborated „Quidditch. That's a boost in points like you wouldn't believe".

Most ravens frowned but nodded. Another muggleborn voiced their collective discontent „I find it hardly fair that a sport counts more than schoolwork. In a school."

„Not necessarily, it really depends on the difference in the score – it can be ten or a hundred points" Daniel explained.

Caitlin shrugged „We'll see what this season will bring. I heard we have a new beater and two chasers."

McGonagall glared at the ravens to make them shut up. The students obliged and went back to work till the bell rang.

XXX

„_Welcome to the first quidditch match of the season – the awaited duel between the House of Lions and the House of Snakes"_ announced the commentator – a boy from Hufflepuff. The thunderous applause increased even more.

„_As usual we have our own Madam Hooch refereeing"_ another bout of applause ensued.

„_And now please welcome the teams! Flying in scarlet we have Wood, Harewood, Weber, Powers, Hansley, Cox aaand Anderson!"_ more cheers with interspersed boos from the Slytherins.

„_And their green-wearing opponents West, Flint, Daugherty, Duke, Gillen, Monk aaand Archer_!" cheers and boos again.

As the majority of the noise died out Madam Hooch released the snitch and the bludgers. The witch finally took hold of the red ball.

„_Aaand the quaffle is released and the game starts ladies and gentlemen! Slytherin in possession, great maneuver by Daugherty. Quick passes between the chasers, quaffle to, but no! Pass interjected by the House of the Brave, excellent work Harewood!"_

The match went on. „Cool" said Saeko who had never seen a quidditch match before, „Hey Caitlin!"

The Irish girl sat one row down between her friends „Yeah?"

„You promised to explain me the rules now that I see the game live" the ninja smiled avidly.

„Oh, yes, of course!" Caitlin's eyes shone.

XXX

„Well, it seems your friend Peter was right, with this win Slytherin took our place in the lead for the House Cup" Helena said as they entered their common room.

Saeko frowned, her competitive side showing „Yeah, thank you very much Lions, they got quite a beating."

The light brunette frowned too „Yeah, their seeker sucks. I hope our own team can even the odds slightly."

The ninja slumped down on a sofa „Caitlin says our team tends not to be the greatest. The history speaks for itself. But with the new players… we'll see."

„That aside how did you like quidditch?"Ashley asked. Before the Uchiha could answer Ashley got a thought „Which sports do you have in Konoha by the way?"

Helena looked mildly interested as well. The raven-haired girl changed positions and sat on the sofa sideways „The life in Konoha is exciting enough and active enough to add sport in the equation. In our spare time we usually train or just hang around. Every shinobi has an outlet for outside missions - a friend of mine plays shougi and loves cloud-watching for example. Or there is a ninja who reads porn in public or another one who loves to exercise and issues challenges to nearly anyone in shouting distance. No sports though."

The British girls looked surprised at the sharing, always curious to learn more about such a foreign environment. Helena arched her eyebrows „Well, that's… singular. What do you do, I haven't seen you doing something like that."

Saeko was thinking for a second „Ensuring I become the next Hokage. So research on our clan's history, making myself known, training, researching and making spells. Every famous ninja has one technique, spell – we call it jutsu, as a signature."

Ashley looked flabbergasted „That's quite something. But not really a hobby, it's politics". Helena nodded.

„I know, that's what niisan says. Sarutobi-sama as well. That is one of the reasons I am here, this is akin to a holiday to me as well as a research opportunity. Brother was quite worried I would burn out as many child prodigies. So my hobby now is learning western magic I guess. I was actually thinking I would try out for the Ravenclaw quidditch team next year, it could be fun" Saeko mused.

„Oh, that could be cool. What position were you thinking? And who is Sarutobi-sama?" Ashley asked.

„I'm just thinking it, not sure yet. Sarutobi-sama is our current Hokage, the Sandaime" the ninja explained.

Helena looked intrigued „You know your leader in person and he is concerned about you? That would bode well for your ambition, no?"

Saeko smiled „It does. He actually acknowledged my candidature, not that I am the only one. He is quite old and he retired once already so he is already contemplating his successors."

„Wow" the Brits said in unison. The blonde continued „That's quite something. You are actually considered to become the leader of your nation! For real?"

„Yes. I do have a long way to go, it is just a dream in this stage. But I do have my name going for me and my mission record is near to spotless" Saeko said to cool down the excitement.

„Do you have much competition?" Ashley asked curious, still coming to terms with the whole thing – her friend was supposedly a soldier, possibly the next in line to be a de facto general.

The nin sighed „Oh, yes. And that is provided I don't fuck up like never and don't die on the job. There are several excellent shinobi who would be candidates but they don't want the position much though. My brother is one but he would outright refuse, he already hates being Clan Head. The guy who reads porn is another – Hatake Kakashi. Then there are the students of Sarutobi but neither would take if not forced. And many others, a sneaky elder councilman among them, he's very dangerous. Those would take precedence if something happened right now but it looks like I have time to catch up. I have one rival that concerns me, Uzumaki Naruto. He has a big handicap but I think he should be able to turn the tables. He too has been ranting for ages about wanting to be Godaime. He has the will, a good pedigree, charisma, he's a grandson figure to Sarutobi-sama and if he applies himself he will have the necessary power. But I think I am ahead in this race". Towards the end Saeko was more talking to herself than to them.

„How so?" Helena asked even more intrigued.

„We are equal in name status but his heritage is not common knowledge yet. I already led several teams as opposite to Naruto, and I have the respect of the populace. Sarutobi-sama has a better relationship with Naruto but he is more than capable to being impartial. I have far more pull on the Council as I already attended few meeting in niisan's stead. Power-wise I am indubitably ahead for the moment. And I have a far, far better reputation. Also I am a chuunin already whilst he is but a genin. But he is known to be the Konoha's number one surprising ninja" Saeko mused.

The blond tried to analyze the situation „Hm. What I fail to understand is what are you doing here then? Appeasing your brother and the Hokage that are concerned about your over-focus?"

„Part of it. Your kind of magic is very different to ours and my mastering it even partially gives me advantage over others. It makes me unique. And Hogwarts is a safe environment to grow" the Uchiha said.

Helena narrowed her eyes, knowing there was more to it but unwilling to delve into it. Ashley got the hint as well, she grinned „Well, we still need to find you a proper hobby."

Saeko smiled in response.

XXX

„What got you so hyped up?" Saeko asked her roommate.

Ashley looked at the ninja incredulously „It's Halloween!"

The blonde who was playing with her oatmeal eyed the smaller brunette „You mean Samhain, right? The most magical night of the year."

„Hm, sure. But Halloween! I love the muggle holiday. Candy, costumes, spooking people! It's awesome!" Ashley practically jumping on her seat.

„Hold the exclamation marks! Calm down" Saeko, „I doubt we get to do that stuff here."

„Fortunately" the blonde mock-whispered.

Ashley deflated a bit „I know. But I always liked it and I'm not going to stop now, am I. At least we get candy and chocolate. And the decorations sure will be there. And I heard that sometimes the ghosts put on a show!"

„Sounds great" the Uchiha smiled, finished with her breakfast.

The historian's smile widened „You get Halloween in Konoha?"

„Nope. We have two major festivals. One was the tenth of this month – the Kyuubi festival. We get booths with games, food and trinkets. Oh and booze. And you know, being generally merry" Saeko shrugged.

Their talk was interrupted by the usual entry of owls. This time there was an owl-sized crow among the parliament. Saeko practically lit up, not expecting to receive mail as the other students since she talked with her brother every other week. She just hoped the bird would not talk - it would raise too many questions.

The crow spotted the Uchiha and landed on her shoulder. Saeko smiled at the messenger and took the scroll from it. The bird cawed and took off. The brits eyed the Uchiha, waiting for a comment. Saeko explained „My brother's messenger, we don't do owls."

The kunoichi opened the scroll, finding a classical storage seal. Channeling chakra into the scroll a bunch of other scrolls appeared „Letters from Konoha" Saeko breathed out.

Helena gave the brunette a rare smile „A long voyage indeed."

Saeko grinned and opened the first letter. Ashley looked over her shoulder „Hey, there are only few lines there!" she said outraged.

The ninja laughed „That's Shika for you. He's lazy as hell, even worse than his father. I should feel flattered her even bothered to take up a brush."

Ashley nodded and left her friend alone to read.

XXX

**Summoner's realm**

„Did you like my present?" Itachi asked when his sister landed.

Saeko positively beamed „Yes, thank you. It was nice hearing from them all. The manner they arrived was a great surprise, thank you!"

The younger of the siblings hugged her brother to show the sentiment. Itachi poked her forehead as he always did „Did you write them back?"

Saeko took a scroll from her pocket and gave it to the jounin „How could I not, here. By the way what did you tell them? Hogwarts is classified."

„That you are away on a long-term mission, undercover somewhere – the same as you said them before" Itachi answered, „Naruto was a bit put out by that – both that his rival is away and the fact that you are on a high-level mission and he's stuck with D-ranks."

The girl chuckled „Sounds like him. Well, I'll be back for the Christmas break. I will right, or do you have orders that say otherwise?"

„No, the Hokage anxiously awaits your return, the report left him hoping. I think he will make you fight somebody to see the magical application for himself so be prepared" Itachi warned her.

Saeko nodded in understanding „It seems logical, I will be prepared. I miss Konoha to be honest. And you of course."

Itachi smiled „Me too little sister. Another thing I have a mission so we need to postpone our next meeting. I will miss your birthday too so here."

The brunette took the offered package. „Happy birthday" Itachi smiled.


	8. 1- 08 11月

_AN: So I went back and fixed some grammatical mistakes – those little buggers are hard to catch, no matter how many times I read the chapters…_

* * *

><p><strong>*11月*<strong>

„I see you have made an addition to the furniture" Ashley eyed the wall over Saeko's desk. It held strangely shaped twin swords hanging horizontally one above the other.

Saeko smiled at the weapons „They are the Twin Tiger Hook Swords, Itachi-niisan gave them to me for my birthday."

„Birthday!" the Brit nearly shrieked, „You should've told me! Man! Was it yesterday? Do I have the time to give you a gift?"

The ninja chuckled „November 3rd. I'm turning twelve November 3rd. I appreciate the sentiment, but you really don't have to give me anything."

Ashley stopped listening after the first sentence and continued her freak out. Before Saeko could say more or inquire about her sanity, the smaller brunette stormed out.

Saeko shrugged and opened a scroll she took from the Uchiha library before coming to Scotland. She hadn't managed to read much out of it when she heard gentle knocking on the door. „Come in" she called.

Helena entered „Good morning."

„Ohayo, what's up?" Saeko greeted back.

„Ashley practically ran into my room, took me by my robes and begun yelling something about not knowing what to give you and swords. What was that about, it sounded creepy" Helena smirked.

The ninja began chuckling which then delved into full blown laughter „I can imagine! Was Michelle there? That would be hilarious."

The blonde chuckled too „She wasn't, too bad. You didn't answer the question."

„Oh, right. The day after tomorrow is my birthday. Ashley saw my brother's gift – those swords over there" the chuunin pointed at the wall.

„Oh. That makes more sense. Nice swords, never seen anything like them. Which brings me to what do I give you?" the blond sat down on the second bed.

Saeko shrugged „Surprise me. I'm sure you won't be helping me with your birthday. When is it by the way?"

„December 12th. I'll be going then, I need to find you a present" Helena waved goodbye and left.

The brunette went back to her reading for a few minutes but she finally gave up and closed it. „And now I have to hunt for a present, as Shika would say: mendokse" she said to herself with a sigh.

XXX

**DADA Class**

„Incendio!" Saeko intoned again with much gusto.

„Perfect work as ever miss Uchiha, 20 points for Ravenclaw. I would say your wand must have some affinity to fire, the spell is more potent than usual. Good work" said professor Littlefield with a nod of respect.

Saeko grinned with much delight at the destruction she caused „Mr. Ollivander did say so."

The teacher moved onto other students. Saeko repeated the spell laughing under her breath. Her blonde friend elbowed her „You weren't joking when you said your clan liked fire."

„Pyromaniac" Ashley muttered while producing streams of smoke from her wand.

The ninja chuckled again „This is FUN!"

The Hufflepuff students that were sitting behind Saeko eyed the brunette wearily. Noticing, the Uchiha flashed them a wide grin over her shoulder. That combined with the scar made quite a scary image. „Stop scaring them Saeko" Ashley reproached her.

„Spoilsport" the brunette mock-glared.

XXX

Ashley crept up to her roommate's sleeping form, intent to surprise her. Finally she leapt while shouting „Wakey, wa..hey!"

Saeko was startled by the noise and the movement so she reacted in the way she was trained to her entire life – straddling the brunette and holding a kunai to her throat.

One moment nobody moved as Saeko slowly blinked into awareness „Gomen, gomen! I'm so sorry!" Saeko said hastily climbing off her friend.

The brit pulled herself into a sitting position, her hands on her neck, „Oh my god! What was that!"

„I said I'm sorry! But you never ever startle a shinobi. I never wanted you to see this part of me" Saeko sighed and sat back on her bed.

Ashley smiled shakily „No, it is I who should be sorry. I guess I haven't realized what it meant when you said you were a soldier."

„Are we good?" Saeko inquired shyly, surprising herself with caring about her friend's opinion.

The young witch smiled again, this time more surely „Of course. I really am sorry. Well I wanted to surprise you to give you this, happy birthday."

Now Saeko felt even worse „Ar, thank you."

The kunoichi began unwrapping the package while Ashley was rambling „I really didn't know what to get you. I even asked mum but she doesn't know you so I thought, you know…"

Saeko smiled, finding her friend's rambling adorable. She unwrapped the book „Magiks of the Aztec Shamans?"

„Is it ok? Aztecs were quite battle-oriented so I thought you might enjoy that. It's more history than actual spells but..." Ashley begun.

Saeko stopped her „Ashley! It's alright. I love it!"

„Really?" the shorter brunette said hopefully. Saeko hugged her in reply.

XXX

„So, you like it?" Helena asked her friend.

Saeko shuffled the pages of her newest book „Il principe by Machiavelli?"

The blonde nodded „Yep. You said you wish to become Hokage so what better book for you. It's the most famous book on politics and leadership."

„Very thoughtful. I'll give it a shot" the Uchiha smiled in thanks.

„My book is far better" said Ashley when she joined the duo, „So off to Charms?"

„You wish, my present was splendid" Helena said haughtily picking her bag off the floor.

„Phe" Ashley snorted while Saeko laughed at their silly antics.

The trio went on their way to the Charms classroom in comfortable silence when Helena had a thought „Pity we can't apparate in class, I don't like the walking."

„You are such a lazy ass" Saeko sighed.

„Yep, and even if apparating was possible in the castle it would be illegal. And annoying. And you know it's really hard to manage" Ashley added her two cents.

Helena shrugged „It was just hypothetical."

„Sure. And by the way you know that Charms is actually the closest classroom to the dorms, right?" Saeko smirked, already knowing shunshin worked even in Hogwarts.

The blonde sighed „It was just a thought, sheesh."

Entering the classroom they took their customary seats. Saeko nodded at Lauren who was already sitting on the 'Slytherin side'.

„Good morning everybody! Today I have a new spell for you, an exciting one I would hope. Today we make things fly" professor Flitwick smiled at his students.

When the excited mutterings died down Flitwick explained them the mechanics of the spell and promptly levitated few books from the desks.

Saeko's Uchiha bloodline came through once more when she was first to get the spell down. „Marvelous miss Uchiha, take 15 points. Just like her, swish and flick. And remember to pronounce properly" the diminutive wizard complimented.

The redhead next to Saeko sighed „I was never good at charms."

„Maybe but you are owning everybody at herbology" the kunoichi smiled, „Want some help?"

„If you know a way" Lauren smiled in reply.

By the end of class there were several feathers floating about, Lauren's included „Thank you Saeko, I really appreciate your help."

„Well, I leech from you at herbology so glad I could help" the raven-haired girl smirked.

„Not really. If you didn't pull your weight I would ditch you without hesitation" Lauren smirked back.

„Good to know" Saeko collected her things, „I need to ask Flitwick something so see ya at the greenhouse. Take care."

The redhead waved in goodbye as did Saeko's Ravenclaw friends. The ninja approached her Head of House „Excuse me sensei, may I have a moment?"

The wizard looked up at her and smiled „Of course miss Uchiha. Would you care to join me at my office?"

Saeko bowed her head and followed suit. When they arrived the wizard opened the door for her „Ladies first."

„Thank you. The very picture of a british gentleman, how refreshing" said Saeko as she took the chair in front of the desk.

„So, what is the matter?" asked the wizard.

„Oh, nothing is wrong, I just had a question about today's lesson" the ninja assured the teacher, „The charm we learned today is more floating then flying, right?"

Flitwick nodded „Indeed. Excellent work as always by the way".

„Thank you sir. So I was wandering if flight is achievable by the Wingardium Leviosa charm or if it is a different spell altogether. What I'm seeking is to basically accelerate the object. Shoot it out more than letting it float" Saeko explained her query gesturing wildly.

The professor hummed „I see. Well the effect you seek is indeed possible to achieve by the Wingardium but it requires quite a bit of work. But there is a spell specifically for this – the Sagitta spell."

Saeko's eyes sparkled at the thought of another battle-ready spell for her arsenal „Would it be too much of an inconvenience to ask you to teach me sensei?"

„Not at all. I will teach you but you must promise to be careful, using it wrongly could be dangerous" the teacher stressed his words.

„I understand. I assume no one would like me shooting around pointy objects" Saeko said with her best poker face on.

Flitwick smiled „Yes, I'm glad you understand. The incantation is Sagitta and the wand movement is a wave and a jab", the teacher proceeded to demonstrate the spell as Saeko's red eyes studied the spell carefully.

XXX

„Don't you feel like you are betraying our House?" Ashley said with mild disgust looking at Helena.

The blonde didn't even look up and continued counting the money „I know no allegiance when it comes to betting. I won, I regret nothing."

„How much did you win? No offence but I would've preferred a Raven victory, I'm beginning to like quidditch" Saeko stretched on her bed, book in hand.

Helena just smirked and pocketed the coins. Ashley humphed and mock-glared again. Redirecting her stare to the kunoichi she asked „New book? What is it this time? I saw you the other day reading through 4th year charms, isn't that a bit much?"

Saeko looked at the bright cover of her book of choice „It's a factionary book written by a lesser muggle noble. It's kinda crazy but in a good sense, very funny and enlightening. And I was only looking through charms because I was searching for a shield charm."

The blonde cocked her head to the side „And have you found it? It's a great spell to know but really difficult, right?"

„Yep. I conned a prefect into showing it to me and made some research. I'm actually spending most of my free time on in, if you're not hogging it that is" Saeko grinned.

Ashley punched her friend's shoulder „I was wandering what you do when you vanish! Nerd", she finished with a smile.

The Gray heiress smirked „In our country for three months and already charming our wizards."

Saeko gave them her best shit-eating grin „Who says it was a boy? We've got plenty female prefects. Beauty and brain, the whole package."

The lighter brunette was taken aback „What? For real?"

The ninja shrugged, smile still in place „It was Geoffrey, he's a sucker for the 'studious Ravenclaw, stranger in the country, trying to prove herself'.

Helena laughed. Ashley frowned „That really worked?"

„Yep," Saeko repeated, „I played the part of the unappreciated genius".

Both Brits snorted and rolled their eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If by any chance you caught the reference to my favourite British writer, good for you!<strong>


	9. 1- 09 Home for Xmas

***Home for Xmas***

Saeko swayed and nearly fell when she appeared via portkey into the secret Sharingan chamber in her clan's compound.

„Careful there sister, one may wonder if the mission made you unsteady on your feet" Itachi greeted his sister with a slight smile.

The girl glared at her brother and straightened her uniform „Funny. So what now, Hokage Tower?"

„Yes. Shall we?" Itachi asked.

„Hey, what about welcome home, I love you sis and so on" Saeko said in mild outrage.

Itachi just smiled and poked his sister's forehead. Dropping his smile he put his hand on Saeko's shoulder and shunshined them both in front of the Hokage's office. The kunoichi glared again at her brother and knocked.

Sarutobi's voice ushered them in and activated the privacy seals. After some small talk Saeko gave her report on her first four months at Hogwarts. She also presented her scroll on the herbology and potions combo. „Good, I will have an ANBU medic look it over. I will give it to the Hospital when there is more."

Quickly skimming the scroll Sarutobi made a pleased sound „Hm. It looks promising. It looks like this mission will be fruitions indeed. Now about the offensive triad – since it can only be used by Uchiha and Senju I shall leave those subjects to you but I would very much like to see them in action."

Saeko bowed slightly „I would presume you arranged an opponent for me".

„Indeed, and a private training ground. In this spar I would like to see you implementing what you have learned in Scotland but not limit yourself to that. I would expect that four months did not leave you with many spells meant for battle, the English are quite peaceful after all" said the elder leader.

All ninjas nodded sagely.

XXX

The Hokage and the two Uchiha stood at the entrance of an ANBU training ground, hidden deep within the corps facility. Their quiet chatter was interrupted by the ANBU commander, easily identifiable by his silver mask and another operative with a ferret mask.

With just a nod the younger Uchiha moved to the center of the open space as did Ferret. Both looked at their leader for further instructions. The Hokage cleared his throat „After some deliberation I decided to divide this spar into two portions – in the first one Ferret will be fighting chuunin level but you are authorized to increase the difficulty if necessary. Saeko-san, you will be using mainly your new arsenal. After I see its uses in battle we shall move to the second part where you are may go all out. Itachi-dono made a point that you could be considered for promotions soon so we will see about that. Understood?"

Both Ferret and Saeko spoke clearly „Hai!"

„Hajime!"

The ANBU operative drew his ninjato and immediately charged. Saeko decided to hold off activating her sharingan until the second part of her test. Instead she brushed the sealing tattoo that drew her wand. It was a practiced movement that took only a fraction of a second. Darting to the side and forward she pointed the wand at her opponent who was approaching her at high speed. The Uchiha feinted a block while letting out a jet of light that hit Ferret as he was trying to evade. The _expelliarmus_ spell took the sword and made it clang loudly at the Hokage's feet.

Not even pausing the masked shinobi attacked with his fist rather that his weapon. Saeko evaded and soon the ninja were engaged in a heated taijutsu match.

The Hokage and his two subordinates were observing the match with great interest even if it was not apparent from the outside – Sarutobi was hidden behind his hat and pipe, the Black Ops Commander behind his mask and the Uchiha lord used his stoic face. It was the aged leader who broke the silence „What do you think?"

The silver mask never wavered from the combatants „Intriguing to say the least. The Mahoujutsu is usable and some of the techniques are so surprising. It is a highly unpredictable style, Uchiha uses it well".

The Hokage chuckled as Ferret's mask was tranfigured into a wooden plank, causing the operative to discard it in haste, but not before receiving a vicious kick combination.

„That one was dangerous. It is a good thing this techniques can be only used by our village" the Commander tensed.

Itachi reacted at the subtle question „Indeed. Mahoujutsu is a bloodline limit as any other. Pity there are no more Senju to try their hand at it."

The three men fell into silence once more as the fighters upped the ante. They were impressed as Saeko blocked several water bullets with her much trained _Protego_. When the assault was over she retaliated with a jutsu of her own - the Uchiha trademark fireball, even if a bit overcharged thus of the size of a decent horse. Ferret evaded with ease, clearly puzzled by the clumsy attempt. Her wand in hand once more the girl murmured „Ventulus" and the fireball, bigger and hotter than before, came crashing down onto the shinobi once more.

Ferret rolled out of the fire's trajectory, his face sweaty because of the heat. He started making seals but the sequence was disrupted once more by the technique. Ferret quickly jumped out of the way as another attack threatened his life – a barrage of senbons, courtesy of Saeko's second wand.

Abandoning the chuunin level limit for good Ferret blurred through the seals that trapped the offending fireball in an earth dome. Saeko pressed her advantage and initiated her favorite technique „Katon: Kaen no Arashi (Fire Storm Technique)".

The ANBU used doton once more, this time to hide himself in the ground. Not wanting to be cooked alive he emerged quickly on the other side of the field when he was met by a well-timed _Diffindo_. The spell was wasted on a kawarimi. Saeko cursed under her breath, berating herself for turning off her sharingan she used to predict where his opponent would emerge.

Activating her eyes once more she quickly ducked under a mighty swipe of Ferret's ninjato which he managed to retrieve.

„Stop" the Hokage shouted. The combatants stood down immediately and faced their leader. Sarutobi surveyed them as they subtly tried to control their heavy breathing. „First part is over, I have seen enough, the mahoujutsu proved its worth. Now onto the second part. Hajime!"

The fighter sprung anew, Saeko activating her bloodline trying to gain a quick advantage, weaving a genjutsu around his opponent. Ferret quickly shook it off and the fight heated up once more.

XXX

Saeko and Itachi walked through Konoha towards their compound, casually nodding to the villagers that greeted them along their path. The younger Uchiha was smiling widely, quite content with her performance.

„So?" she sought her brother's opinion and approval.

„You did well little sister" Itachi said with a barely perceptible hint of pride.

Saeko turned to face her lord and brother „That's it? Come on, stroke my ego a bit."

„You did _very_ well little sister" the older sibling replied.

Saeko huffed, for once clearly acting her age. Itachi was pleased by that fact, having often hoped she be less serious all the time.

„You clearly proved your point about mahoujutsu and the school – if you can do that only after four months we can expect great things of you. Not that you needed that, though this can be your ace in the hole. Your performance was overall impressive and I am sure you will be considered for promotions soon" Itachi elaborated to his sister's delight.

„See, you can do it" she smiled even more broadly. Then in a flash her smile was gone „You really think so? You think I am ready to be a jounin?"

The tall Uchiha glanced at his sister „Yes, you are ready, both in skill and leadership. You could use more experience but who doesn't. Your Hogwarts year will be a high-ranked long-term mission and those look good in your file. I would expect that when you will return in the summer you will be promoted".

Saeko nodded, her cocky attitude returning. „Sooo, I could eat. We could put the scroll in the vault and unpack my things and then we could go for a bite. What do you say?" Itachi just nodded.

They proceeded in silence, Saeko enjoying the feel of her hometown after a long time. As the siblings turned a corner they saw three genin painting a fence while their sensei smoked nearby.

Saeko smirked, glad she didn't have to do such missions anymore. „Hola Shika, Ino, Chouji!" she hollered.

„Mendokse" Shikamaru sighed lowering his brush back in the can of paint. Chouji waved enthusiastically and mimicked his friend.

Ino turned scarlet „Why did you not warn us about those goddamned D-ranks! Look at my nails!"

Saeko nearly bent over with laughter, this was typical Ino, „What? No welcome back, how long are you staying and stuff like that?"

„Hey no stalling my genin, they need to finish this so we can move onto clearing that lady's attic" smirked the bearded jounin sensei as the genin groaned, „Hey Uchiha-san, Uchiha-sama".

„Asuma-san" the siblings chorused. Saeko continued „How are things Asuma-san?"

The jounin flicked the butt of his finished cigarette on the ground „Wonderful actually. I got my very own team and that means my very own entertainment." The students he mentioned all glared at him causing the bearded man to grin.

Chouji opened a bag of chips and offered some to the starving kunoichi „How about all of us get together for dinner? Team seven is out of Konoha but Team eight is here".

Saeko beamed „That would be cool, I want to know all the new gossip. By the way how are you divided in teams?"

Ino whose eyes gleamed at the word gossip answered her friend „We are team 10. Hinata, Kiba and Shino are a tracker team, designation 8. Team seven in Naruto-baka, Forehead and Sai."

„Senseis?" the brunette inquired further.

Asuma answered that question „Team 7 got Kakashi and they actually passed, believe it or not. And Team 8's got Kurenai".

„Oh, right, she said she wanted a team. Good for her! By the way, do you know if Guy's team is around?" Saeko asked.

„No shouts about youth lately. I think they are on a mission" Asuma shrugged.

The scarred kunoichi nodded „Oh, well. How about we meet at that new barbecue I saw on the main street near the hospital?"

„I know which one" Chouji smiled, ignoring Ino's „Of course you know".

„Great, see ya at seven, seven's good right?" Saeko asked.

Taking Shikamaru's 'mendokse' as a yes she bid them goodbye and nudged her brother to do the same.

When they finally reached the compound Saeko went directly to her room, more specifically the adjoining bath. „Home sweet home" she mumbled as the tub was being filled.

XXX

Itachi knocked on his sister's door and entered. Saeko was surrounded by brightly colored paper and her expression was stormy to say the least. „What are you doing little sister?"

The brunette looked up and gritted her teeth „I'm trying to wrap up few gifts for my friends back at Hogwarts. It's their custom and as such I'm stuck with this Kami-forsaken, aaargh". The sound of frustration was caused by the paper that tore up again.

„Give me that" said the Uchiha lord while stifling a small chuckle, „One of the best shinobi around and you are useless at this."

Saeko shrugged and threw the shougi board at the jounin. Itachi deftly caught it and selected a nice blue paper. „I'm glad you are involved in your school life. What have you bought them?"

„I bought some of our traditional sweets for most of my classmates since I'm not that close to them. I told you about my two friends though – Helena gets the shougi board you are wrapping and Ashley gets that book over there. She likes history and music so I thought she could like it. Maybe take up one of the instruments." Saeko caressed the instrument.

„So you want her to serenade you" Itachi smirked at his joke.

„Well, she plays a guitar so she could manage the shamisen or koto. I just really didn't know what to get her" the girl said while watching her brother taking the boxed sweets to wrap them.

Not pausing his work Itachi asked „So you like it there? Are you happy?"

Saeko looked up startled „Well, I miss Konoha but yes, I like it. I'm enjoying the science, the different culture and the calm. I get restless but training and sparring with you makes it better. I was thinking of joining a sports team. It gets brutal sometimes and it's a competition…"

„Sounds like fun. Well here you go, all done" Itachi smiled and threw the last, beautifully wrapped package into Saeko's lap. Standing up he said „I came to tell you I had been drafted for a mission. Details are classified. I'm leaving in an hour."

The brunette frowned „ Really? You must be the most active Clan Head. Ah, well, pity. When the new semester starts I will still be seeing you in the summoner's realm right?"

„Yes. There is another thing – there is both a council meeting and the clan one, I need you to in my stead" the shinobi asked.

Saeko looked aghast „What?! Please tell me you didn't take the mission to avoid the meetings!"

Itachi shook his head „I admit it is a bonus but no. It's really important, Sarutobi-sama even drafted Kakashi-senpai".

The girl whistled „It's big then. Good luck. And yes I shall go instead of you. With me gone most of the time I need to show my face around some more".

Itachi nodded and waved to his sibling.

XXX

Saeko was browsing the Uchiha jutsu library, seeking scrolls she could take with herself to Hogwarts. She paused at the kenjutsu section, thinking she could find something for the tiger hook swords, making them more than a decoration. „Excuse me Saeko-sama" a tall Uchiha clansman approached her.

„Yes?" the brunette arched her eyebrow.

The man launched into a long monologue which basically consisted of him wanting to assert her influence as acting clan head to clean up some of his son's mishaps in the academy.

"_Damn you Itachi"_ thought the girl, "_It's the third one today. If nii-san told you no, why should I?"_ Naturally that was not what she ultimately said out loud but it was the gist of it. As another man approached her she seriously began to reconsider her dream to be the next Hokage. She sighed and put on her best stoic Uchiha mask, the one both her father and brother used to deal with politics and the like.

XXX

„So are you ready Saeko-kun?" Sarutobi asked his young subordinate.

The brunette nodded „I am, though I hate the cold that is now in Scotland. By the way when is the Chuunin Exam? Nii-sama told me it will be hosted here. Any chance I can be here at the time?"

Puffing from his pipe the Fire Shadow said „The plan is June, I think you will be back in time to see the tournament."

Saeko grinned „Perfect! Please tell bye to nii-sama for me".

As soon as the Hokage nodded with a smile Saeko grabbed the portkey and disappeared from the office.


	10. 1- 10 Back in Winter Wonderland

***Back in Winter Wonderland***

Dumbledore's chuckle interrupted a stream of muttered curses „Good evening miss Uchiha. Still not enjoying portkey travel?"

Saeko briefly glared at the wizard. Clearing her throat she replied „Indeed, this method of travel is… uncomfortable, to say the least. But I think I'm getting the hang of it."

„Practice makes perfect I believe is the popular saying. Did you have a nice holiday?" the man asked warmly.

„Oh yes. I missed my brother. Did you Headmaster?" Saeko replied politely.

The professor smiled again „Yes, quite. Although my gifts were a bit disappointing. All I ever get are books."

The scarred brunette arched her eyebrow „Hoo? And for what did you write Santa?"

The headmaster laughed „Socks. I wanted a pair of wool, fluffy socks."

Saeko laughed too „Well, I wish you the best of luck for next year. Have a nice evening Headmaster."

„Same to you miss Uchiha" the elder smiled and picked up his cup of tea.

The kunoichi bowed and exited the office. As the guardian gargoyle closed the passage behind him Saeko began her solitary journey to Ravenclaw Tower. Halfway up she begun shivering. „Man, it's worse than Tetsu no Kuni!" she exclaimed out loud.

Few steps later she paused and she addressed an empty suit of armour „Well not really, but it comes close."

As the suit of armor provided no reply Saeko just sighed, rubbed her arms and continued on her way.

When Saeko entered the Common Room she sighed contentedly at the warmth it provided. Looking around she spotted the first years lounging around one of the fireplaces. The ninja approached them and loudly greeted „Konbanwa folks!"

Most of her classmates raised their heads and greeted back. Ashley who was sitting on a cushion near the fire talking with Peter shot up and hugged her.

„Glad to see you too Ash" the Uchiha laughed.

Ashley sat back down and patted the spot near her. Saeko frowned at first but then she winked at her friend and walked towards the plush chair that held Helena who was reading as always. With a smirk Saeko plopped down in her fellow Ravenclaw's lap.

Helena shrieked in surprise as the students laughed. „Missed me darling?" Saeko grinned.

The blonde tried to calm her breathing „Of course. Now get off!"

Saeko mock pouted and obliged. High-fiving with Ashley and Caitlin she sat down next to the fire.

XXX

As the Ravens started their first lesson of the new semester most classmates were munching on the sweets Saeko bought them as presents, having said she could not send or be sent any gifts while at home. Binns didn't mind in the slightest as he droned on about goblin rebellions.

The Gryffindors were abuzz with quiet chatter, catching up with their friends they hadn't seen this past two weeks. Their Ravenclaw counterparts were mostly silent but they too were paying minimal attention. The general consensus in the House of the Witted was to read ahead in their spare time or during the lesson as Binns was deemed useless the first month in.

Saeko was reading the book she received from Ashley as her present. It was a book on quidditch, mainly its positions. The brunette had already entertained the idea of trying out for a place in the team next year.

„Do you really want to join in that foolishness?" Helena whispered at the chuunin.

„Yeah, actually. I am quite competitive after all and it looks like fun. And you could make money on our victory. It would be a surprise so the odds will be great" Saeko said back.

The blonde arched her eyebrow „Really now? You think you alone can make up for the rest of the team?"

„Hey they are not bad. The chasers are quite good but the beaters suck so they can't really maneuver. Sykes is a decent seeker, not a great captain but he'll be gone next year anyway. My money is on McPherson or Todd as the new captain" the Uchiha mused.

„McPherson is the keeper right, the broody one? And Todd?" Helena asked.

Saeko chuckled „Yeah, that's him. Todd is the female chaser. I was thinking about the beater position. I am strong, stronger than I appear and my aim is impeccable. And I can be vicious." She smirked at the last part.

Helena just nodded. Before she could say anything Ashley tapped her on her shoulder, grinning „My my Gray, are you talking about quidditch? Have you finally acknowledged it's awesome?"

The blonde scoffed „Hardly. Just talking about our aspirant beater for next season".

Ashley looked at Saeko who smiled and waved the book at her.

XXX

Professor Flitwick clapped loudly to gain the classes attention. As the student settled down he said loudly „Good afternoon. Since you have only just returned from your holidays we will be going over what you learned last semester. Let's start with _Lumos_."

Most of the room lit up as the vast majority of the students with the exception of two stragglers managed the spell. „Excellent!" Flitwick squealed out.

The class continued in this fashion for the whole hour and half. When the bell rang Saeko excused herself to her friends and approached her Slytherin friend „Hey Lauren, got a sec?"

The redhead turned from her companions in slight surprise „Sure. I'll see you later Alexia, Isolde."

Saeko smiled and the duo walked out of the room „I wanted to give you this. Merry Christmas."

Lauren took the small package and arched her eyebrow „Thank you. I actually had a small present for you too but my owl wouldn't accept it."

The brunette smiled sheepishly „Oh yeah. My home is secretive and is allowed no visitors. Not even owls. That's why I'm giving it to you now". Winking in good humor „I could not forget about my herbology partner after all."

„Intriguing" Lauren trailed out. Saeko could practically hear the gears turning and storing the information for further use.

„Indeed. Well, enjoy your present. I hope you had a nice holiday, see ya!" Saeko smirked and jogged away.

When she was halfway down the corridor she heard a shout „Oi Uchiha!". The scarred brunette turned and cocked her head to the side. „Thanks. I'll give you my present too, I don't like owing people!"

Saeko nodded in understanding and turned the corner.

XXX

„Blasted cold!" Helena cursed as the trio walked around the lake.

Ashley just smiled and took a deep breath „True, but it's wonderful here. And the air. And the SNOW! I love winter!"

„I'm not a fan myself, back in Konoha we don't have snow. But these are helping" Saeko smiled and waved her gloved hands before her. The gloves and the scarf she was wearing were in fact gifted by the blonde.

The pureblood just burrowed her face further in her own scarf „Glad to see my Yule present is useful. How about we head back to the common room. I'll make us a nice tea."

Before Helena could plead any further her friends got distracted by loud shouts that erupted not far from them. Deciding to take a look they headed towards the noise.

It was a big snow fight among the younger years of the Gryffindor House with some Hufflepuff in the mix. The vast majority of them were drenched but laughing happily. Ashley's eyes practically lit up and she hurried to make a snow projectile of her own. Armed with two she ran into the mayhem.

„Is she expecting we will go after her?" Helena genuinely asked. The tone held a distinctive _is she mad?_ inflection.

„I think so. Hm. I think I'll pass" the brunette replied.

Her friend nodded resolutely. As they were watching the fight in silence they had to duck under some of the stray snowballs.

„I bet you a sickle that that band of third year Gryffs is planning to team up and dominate the battle" said Helena in her poker voice.

Saeko studied the marks „No deal. They actually intend the plan to start… Oh, yes deal. I'll take your sickle. I bet the Hufflepuff will be victorious."

The blonde arched her eyebrow and studied the Puffs in turn. Looking back at her friend she nodded in acceptance of the challenge.

The fight was culminating. Some of the students gave up and were sitting in the snow, trying to draw deep breaths while still laughing. Suddenly the yellow scarfed boys let out a loud roar and it was a whole new fight.

„Pay up" Saeko smirked at her friend.

Helena looked at her in disbelief „How did you know?"

„You speculated first as you placed your money on the Gryffs. I just did the same. Look! Ashley is getting annihilated!"

The blonde looked at the snowy meadow and let out a laugh. Then another, „well, at least she went down valiantly. A good representative of our House".

„Nope. A good representative would've won" Saeko winked.

„Well, you did say you were competitive" said Helena.

„Competitive, yes. Also not forgetful – you still owe me a sickle" the chuunin smirked at the good try.

Helena grumbled but headed out the silver coin. Pocketing it the duo made way to their friend who was laying in the snow trying to get her breathing under control now the fight has ended.

XXX

„Hey Geoffrey!" Saeko called when she spotted the sixth year prefect. The boy turned around. „Hi. Ashley has a cold, she is quite ill. What do I do? Do I take her to the infirmary or is there a potion she could take or what?"

The prefect grew a bit concerned „The best would be to take her to Madame Pomfrey so we do not misdiagnose. Is she well enough to walk?"

Saeko pondered that for a second „I guess. I'll help her up but I still don't know where the infirmary is."

„Oh. Ok then, I'll take her there, no worries. I don't have a class the first period" said Geoffrey.

„Me too. I was about to go to breakfast but that can wait. I'll take her. But if you could go with me so I don't get lost that would be kind of you" Saeko smiled at her fellow Ravenclaw. Geoffrey nodded with a kind smile.

As Saeko went up the stairs she encountered Helena and explained the matter at hand. The blonde just rolled her eyes „After her adoration of winter and snow I am not surprised. I'll go with you. I know where the infirmary is."

„Oh. I didn't so I asked Geoffrey. He offered to take us there. Let him be all knightly and manly and help us out". Helena just shrugged and went to fetch the smaller brunette from her room with Saeko.

After loud protests Ashley agreed to go to the infirmary. Seeing the common room almost empty she put on quite a primadonna act. Geoffrey was busy taking care of the small brunette to notice Helena and Saeko trying so very hard not to laugh.

When the group finally reached the door of the infirmary the girls thanked the prefect and entrusted their friend into Madame Pomfrey's care.

„That's a nasty cold miss Weir. Come on, sit down" said the school nurse.

As soon as Ashley was getting the care she needed the two girls that brought her there erupted in loud giggles. Not Saeko of course, Uchiha do not _giggle_ after all. Madame Pomfrey glared at them as she hurried to take a potion from a cabinet.

„Take it easy for an hour or so and you will be fine miss Weir," said the woman, „we have plenty of beds so it would be best if you stayed here."

Ashley begun to protest but Helena shut her up „That's what you get when you are frolicking in snow. Stay put, we have a free period anyway."

The blonde situated herself on the chair beside the bed and took out the herbology book with mild disgust. Saeko put her gloved hands into her pockets and said „I'm gonna run in the Great Hall and get some breakfast. What do you guys want?"

„There is no need Miss Uchiha. I will call some elves to deliver some for you. I need breakfast for Mr Thompson anyway" said Madame Pomfrey who was fluffing the pillows on the bed nearby.

The three girls looked behind the nurse to see a heavily bandaged boy. Not actually interested in the boy's affaires the scarred brunette asked „Elves?"

„Yes, House Elves, they work in the kitchen" the woman explained.

„Do they now? Very interesting" said Saeko slowly as her master plan for getting better breakfast or food in general began forming in her head.

XXX

The potions classroom was cold, even colder than the rest of the castle despite the flames under the cauldrons. All the students were as close to the fire as possible without being ablaze themselves. Both the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs worked in silence, cutting and powdering ingredients.

Halfway into the lesson three Hufflepuff girls were holding up tears, Snape being more vicious than usual. Maybe the cold was affecting him too. Even the studious Ravens were rapidly losing points.

Finally the bell rang and the students let out a sigh of relief. Saeko poured her concoction into a phial and labeled it. Putting her work into the appropriate slot she couldn't help but imagine Snape being the target of her favorite techniques. „_Raiton would look lovely. Or genjutsu. Yes that would be perfect. It would be sooo fun genjutsuing the shit out of him and humiliate him in front of everyone_" the ninja thought.

As she exited Helena asked the taller brunette „What are you smiling at? I can't think of anything humorous about potions today. Quite the opposite actually."

Saeko gave her a grin that could be only categorized as creepy „Just fantasizing about all the horrible ends that could come to a person, especially if said person looked like a greasy bat."

„Oh. Yes, that is quite a fulfilling mental exercise" the blonde grinned.

Ashley threw he arms around both girls and asked „What are you talking about?"

„All the wonderful ways Snape could die" Saeko replied. Eyeing the corridor that led to the Potions classroom she sighed „Pity I can't touch him, Dumbledore would suspect me immediately, even if it were an accident."

The British girls looked at her in disbelief. The Uchiha just shrugged „What?"

„Nothing!" came from both her friends.

The trio walked towards the Great Hall to get dinner. They were nearly there when Helena asked „Out of curiosity, how would you do it?"

„Shocked by electricity would send a message. It could even keep him alive. But without getting caught? No way" the Leaf ninja asked after a second of deliberation. The Brits were silent, clearly waiting for more. Saeko sighed „Well it could be possible to stage it that way that a cauldron exploded into his face. Poison is always an option but it would have to be a fast acting one. Just a drop onto a needle and throw it near his heart or artery. Or he could just disappear."

Ashley shivered dramatically „Creepy. I like the electric shocks though".

„Just disappear huh? Now I know what to wish for my next birthday" Helena smiled with a bit of unease.

„What's for dinner I wonder?" Saeko smiled at the duo to change the subject and entered the Great Hall.


	11. 1- 11 Special Days

***Special days***

Ashley, Saeko and the reluctant Helena sat in the stands among other Ravenclaw quidditch fans. The House of the Wise was actually honoring its name as only a handful of blue-clad students decided to endure the february cold.

„I don't understand why we_ had_ to come. It's not even our match! Who cares who wins!" exclaimed Helena who was shivering despite having on at least three layers of clothing.

The brunette duo shrugged. Finally Saeko took out her wand and did a complicated maneuver toward the blonde who sighed in relief „Marvelous! Some sort of a heating charm, yes?"

The chuunin smirked and repeated the movement for herself and Ashley „I asked a seventh year. He told me it's too difficult and so on and on. But he told me the name so I went to Flitwick. Nice twenty House points it was."

By now the Uchiha was considered the best in their year, especially where the wand subjects were concerned but it was always a surprise when she managed a higher-level spell. Ashley let out a „Wow! When we are supposed to learn it?"

„Fourth year" Saeko replied little bit smugly. She always enjoyed the attention being the Uchiha prodigy got her and this was no different.

Helena shot the ninja a grateful smile and begun taking off the unnecessary layers „You must teach it to me, you know how I abhor winter and cold weather in general."

The 'strip show' got the attention of other Ravenclaws. Some of the older ones smacked themselves for their stupidity and performed the charm as well. Those who were already warm nodded at the Uchiha for a job well done. The younger years begun begging the others and soon the whole Raven section was down to mere sweaters.

As the game kicked off the trio watched with mild interest as scarlet and yellow players battled for victory.

XXX

Saeko was immersed in her book when her British friends entered the Ravenclaw common room.

„Hey, ninja. I thought you were jogging, training or whatever" Ashley batted away the chuunin's feet from the second part of the love seat and sat down.

„I was but since it was so foggy outside I did just the basics. Besides Geoffrey borrowed me this book but he needs it back so I'm reading it fast" the ninja explained.

Helena who was laden with books excused herself and went into her room. Ashley took Saeko's book from her friend's unprotesting hands and skimmed the page „Veritaserum?"

„Yep. _Very_ interesting. Naturally the school textbooks do not give the brewing instructions and neither does this one but it gives more insight" Saeko said.

„Hm, if you finish it fast I might take a look at it. But it is really creepy that a few drops of liquid can make you spill your innermost secrets" Ashley frowned. Saeko just hummed. Suddenly getting excited the smaller brunette said „Did you know that the Philistines had a similar potion, the recipe lost forever, that they abused greatly. Unfortunately an ingredient made the potion quite toxic when used repeatedly. Nearly one quarter of the population died because of it."

Saeko smiled at the way Ashley's face lit up when sharing a historical fun fact „Actually yes, I just read it here," Ashley pouted, „The book also speculates about possible repetition with today's veritaserum. Fortunately the potion is strictly regulated."

„True. It's really dangerous" Ashley remained thoughtful.

The Uchiha nodded somberly, already plotting on how to gain the recepy for Konoha. She considered sneaking into the restricted section but thought better of it, guessing Dumbledore would have powerful barriers on the place or other measures, „Hey, Ash? The older years can gain access to the restricted section right?"

Ashley eyed her suspiciously „Yeah but you need permission from a teacher and you have to specify what book you want and why. The professors watch it very closely I am told. And they only grant it to the upper years – those who seek the mastery title after school."

Having got the info she wanted Saeko sought to change the subject „Have you given any thoughts about what do you want to do after Hogwarts?"

Ashley got thoughtful „You know we are just in our first year right? I don't know. I guess what my parents do is great. I really like history and travelling. Hm, I also heard that the Gringott's cursebreakers get to work in awesome locations, seeking treasure. Or I could start a band," winking she continued „Or maybe they will have fired Binns by the time I am qualified to teach."

„Firing that dreadful ghost would be the sensible thing to do" said Helena who just joined her friends.

„What about you Helena?" the half-blooded brunette asked. Seeing the confusion in the blonde's face she elaborated „After school. Your dream career?"

The blonde sat on a nearby chair „Well, not much to tell. I'll be working alongside my father in the tea business and eventually succeed him in the company. He always took me alongside him on his trips and I found I like it, especially the haggling. And the parties I always hear about."

„Great but no other dreams?" Ashley inquired.

Helena shrugged „Not really. At least not yet."

„Plenty time for that" Saeko said dismissively.

„You'll go back home?" the smaller brunette asked.

„Indeed. But if you start that band I'll totally commute for concerts. And I will be expecting VIP tickets" Saeko smiled.

XXX

The trio was eating quietly in the Great Hall when Michelle joined them with a big smile „Did you know that Craig Hansley is dating the Head Girl, Cobb? Cool huh?"

„I don't really care" Saeko shrugged.

„Don't know them" Helena chimed in without taking her eyes from her breakfast.

Ashley, who was the most social out of them joined in on the gossip while the other two just rolled their eyes.

When Michelle joined another group, presumably to spread the news, Ashley reproached her friends „It's Valentine's day, get in the mood!"

„Oh right. It's the fourteenth" the blonde said with disinterest.

Saeko shrugged again „Meh, as long as everyone will refrain from shoving pink confetti down my throat I'm good. Maybe I'll be excited this day when I'm dating somebody. But I don't really care who's with whom."

Ashley sighed „You two are so depressing. And for your information Hansley is the Gryffindor chaser. The one that has half of the raven girls pining over him". Seeing the blank faces of her friends she continued „The hot one? Windswept dark brown hair, Seventh year?"

The ninja sounded bored „ Oh that guy. Well, good for him."

„Ok, I get it" the smaller brunette shook her head, „What do you want to talk about?"

The blonde just continued eating like the distinguished lady she is while Saeko sipped water from her cup. Ashley rolled her eyes and looked down the table. Spotting Peter and his friends talking loudly she took her plate and joined them.

XXX

„What's with all the candles? And what's the smell?" said Ashley once she entered their room and shut the door.

Saeko looked like she was meditating, sitting in front of the Uchiha banner, surrounded by tiny flames „It's incense."

Ashley frowned „You missed first period herbology for sitting in an empty room, trying not to breathe?"

The ninja didn't even bothered to open her eyes „Yes."

„What about transfiguration?" the shorter brunette asked.

„Not going. I will see you tomorrow" was the curt answer.

Ashley looked at her friend in disbelief but sensing there was a reason for her behavior „So no lunch? Dinner, astronomy? What am I to tell when the professors ask?"

Saeko opened her eyes at last, somehow comforted that she was missed. Turning so she could face the Brit she said softly „Tell them that I am mourning. It's the anniversary of my parent's deaths."

„Dear Lord! I'm so sorry! I didn't know! I, I… sorry" Ashley stammered.

The scarred chuunin looked back at the banner and closed her eyes once more „That's quite alright. I didn't really mean it to be known. I just felt that this day should be remembered."

The small girl thought about saying something but ultimately she decided against „Well, I need to go or I'm going to be late. I will see you tomorrow then."

When her roommate left a raven landed on Saeko's shoulder „The day your parents died? That's an understatement."

„Well, I couldn't very well tell the truth" the nin replied.

„Itachi-dono sent word that he will meet you at the Nest just before dusk" said the raven. Ruffling his feather the bird continued „You know she was kinda right about the smoke and smell."

„It's traditional. To honor my ancestors. Even those I killed myself" Saeko breathed out.

The summon made a complicated movement that could be considered a shrug „Suit yourself."

Hours past and the young Uchiha sat unmoving until the sky began to darken. Channeling chakra into her ears to enhance her hearing she listened for any presences near her door. Sensing no one she stood up, stretching gently. With one last glance at the door she called „Tårer! Would you?"

The now named bird landed on Saeko's shoulder once more and with a poof the duo was reverse-summoned into the land of ravens. From there the journey was short. Finally Saeko saw the familiar silhouette of her brother.

„Niisan!" she exclaimed and flung herself into her brother's arms.

Itachi hugged her back, murmuring softly into her hair „Little sister."

After a while the girl pulled back „So, five years ago today."

„Indeed" the ninja smiled sadly, „I still wish it needn't be this way. Fugaku was a fool."

Saeko nodded „Indeed he was. We lost half the clan, credibility and so much more. Family…". Choking down a sob she continued „We did what we had to do. For Konoha, for the clan, for us..."

Itachi looked somberly into the distance „So we have been told. It is what we tell ourselves. But those are all empty words. But yes, it needed to be done and the best solution was to do it by ourselves."

„We are fortunate the fallout was not... as bad as it could've been" Saeko said softly.

Itachi shot her a look with mild contempt „You make it sound so political and cold. We murdered our clan. A massacre."

„That's how I cope brother. I was young but that night is etched into my memory, I dream of it so often. We cannot delete what we did but I try to… I don't really know how to explain it but my being Hokage… It's what the Uchiha rebels were after, right? We will carry our burden to the day we die – we even have the proof of our deed" Saeko let her cold mask fall.

„The mangekyou sharingan. The cursed eyes of the cursed clan. The bloodline born by hate" Itachi nodded.

„The eyes Fugaku killed our mother for. They are powerful, so powerful but it's an everyday reminder" the kunoichi sighed again.

The siblings sat a long time near each other, both remembering. Finally Saeko broke the silence „Enough gloom. I so am not the broody type. You brought something to drink right?"

„We can afford self-pity one day of the year. And yes I did. But you will drink only little, you are still far from the appropriate age" Itachi proved himself being the reliable older brother.

Saeko glared at her lord brother „The day I put on my hitai-ate I became an adult. Bring on all the drugs, sex and rockandroll! Just kidding. A bit of booze won't hurt me though, I have been on a post-mission party where Anko was involved, you know."

The ninja sighed and pulled a small bottle of sake out of nowhere. He poured the clear liquid into two cups and raised his „To those who died."

„To those who died" Saeko echoed his words.

XXX


	12. 1- 12 Getting Warmer

***Getting Warmer***

Ashley entered her room and threw her bag on the foor when she noticed her two friends sitting on Saeko's bed, waiting on her. The short brunette arched her eyebrow and sat on her bed „Oookey, what's this about?"

Saeko smirked, evidently amused by the situation while Helena said in a dead serious voice „This is an intervention."

At this the ninja burst into laughter - Ashleys's face was just too precious. „What?"

The blonde glared at her ninja friend but soon turned at Ashley „I should've known Saeko was up to something when she phrased it like that. Anyways, tomorrow is the first of April."

The short brunette lit up „Yeah! It's April Fools, one of my favourite days!"

The Uchiha prodigy whiped her eyes „Thet's precisely the point. We want you to leave us in peace tomorrow."

Ashley let out a short laugh „Who do you take me for?"

„Please my dear, you and Peter are definitely plotting something" Saeko smiled, „my fiend slash rival is known as the biggest pranker of Konoha. I got my fair share and that look you had today at dinner with young mister Hill is unmistekable. The entirety of the village dread that look and pity the target."

Both british girls looked at each other, it was so rare to get some details of their firend's life outside school. „Really, what kind of stuff does he do? Assuming he is a he" Helena tried to coax more information out of the brunette.

The chuunin leaned against her pillow „Yep, he is a short blond terror called Uzumaki Naruto. He really is a master of pranks. One of my favourites was when he dyed all the Hyuuga clan's underware pink and hung it outside. That was epic! Nobody actually know how he did it since the Hyuuga compound is one of the best guarded areas in the village."

The girls chuckled. Ashley then asked „Sounds cool. How did he prank you?"

„Sooo not telling. But he got me alright but just once. He was tad bit pissed I won a spar against him, I might have humiliated him a little. He declared me his rival ever since, especially when he found out I'm going for Hokage" Saeko reminisced.

„He's the one you told us about? The one that has a shot for the top spot?" Ashley asked.

„That's him. But I am already a rank ahead of him and it's going to stay that way" Saeko said with determination, internally hoping for that jounin promotion soon.

Sensing that the sharing was over Helena stood up „Well, I'm going to my room, mum sent me a fantastic book. Good night."

„Goodnight" said the roommates in unison. The blonde waved at them and opened the door when she was stopped by Ashley's voice „And don't worry, mine and Peter's work is always tasteful."

Helena glared at her friend for a second and finally rolledher eyes and closed the door.

XXX

**Astronomy Tower**

The ninja was toying with her telescope absentmindedly, ocasionally looking up at the clear night sky. Sighing she turned to Helena „I don't really get it."

„What are you not getting" the blonde asked while still completing her assignement.

„This subject, astronomy. What's it good for? It's used in rituals which I read are considered dark by the ministry ergo forbidden" Saeko elaborated.

Helena angled her telescope „And Arithmancy."

„Yeah, a subject that is optional at Hogwarts" Saeko said disgruntedly.

„It's not bad. The nights are getting warmer, nice clean air, we get to sleep in tomorrow" the blonde shrugged and bent down to her parchment to scribble something down.

The raven haired chuunin wanted to say more but couldn't since professor Sinistra stalked behind their row. Saeko had to concede that the professor would've made a fine ninja, blending perfectly into the night.

When the black teacher moved on Saeko continued „We could be sleeping or doing something actually productive."

„Stop whining. I like Astronomy just fine. And besides, on our last quiz you knew all the asnwers so it ca't be hat bad" Helena sighed.

„Of course I got the perfect score, I am Uchiha afterall" the girl snorted, „that doesn't mean I enjoyed studying for it. Or that I like staring upwards for an hour and half."

The blonde shrugged and continued her work without a word. Saeko sighed and imitated her. When the class was almost over both Ravenclaws were finished. The ninja decided to bother her friend one more time „Hey, how old do you think Sinistra is? She must be the youngest of the staff right?"

The pure-blood hummed „I think I won't hazard a guess, wizarding age is really hard to tell. Nor do I care for that matter."

„You're no fun" Saeko sighed, looking for her second friend. She spotted Ashley doodling on the margin of her parchment few tables away. Since Caitlin was still working on her chart she let her mind wonder.

When the class was finally over tha Ravens begun their journey to their tower through the silent castle. Most of the students decided to go straight to bed but some circled the fireplaces, trying to chase out the lingering chill.

Saeko made her best puppy-eyes impression to get Helena to make them a cup of her famous tea. As the blonde obliged Saeko and Ashley discussed the boredom that was and is astronomy.

XXX

Saeko locked her dorm room securely. In theory neither Ashley nor Helena should bother her since they were busy elswhere. But one should be always careful.

The kunoichi unsealed the scroll on advanced raiton manipulation, noticing she was almost done with all the exercices. The brunette, as most ninja do, found thoose pseudo-meditational exercices boring but they needed to be done if she wished to excel.

Her fire manipulation was hands down master level – it was trained ruthlessly by her father since she activated her sharingan at a young age, thus becoming a _true_ Uchiha. Soon afterwards she was able to do the Gōkakyū, her clan's right of passage.

Fūton was her secondary element. As soon as she found out in the clan library that the great Uchiha Madara was the same she trained it relentlessly. Being it a rare element in the village she was certain she was the best in it, maybe tied with Sarutobi Asuma, despite using wind primarily to enhance her fire techniques. Saeko did use wind techniques when precision was required but fire was so pretty…

„Fuck it" the chuunin murmured and contentrating her raiton converted chakra into her right hand. A loud chirping noise erupted as the exercise mimicked Kakashi's fabled Chidori.

Lightening and water were her weakest elements but being Uchiha and a certified genius she managed to maintain the technique for quite a while. She grinned and went to looke what was the last exercise in the scroll. She groaned since it could not be preformed indoors nor in the summoner's realm. Seako looked out of the window and thought that she would have to wait till Konoha. Attracting lightening during a storm was too visible to do on Scottish soil.

The scarred chuunin decided to repeat the last exercise until her roommate came back, deciding to skip dinner. When the loud noise of the technique began anew she praised herself for the foresight of installiong silencing seals aroun the room.

It was late when she heard steps outside, singnalising most of the ravens were in the tower. She sighed and packed up her things.

Just in time as Ashley came knocking „Hey. You weren't hungry or you didn't even notice it was time for supper?"

„Not hungry. But I was reading and couldn't bother to come down" Saeko smiled.

Ashley rolled her eyes „Naturally. Well, I was planning to do the herbology homework. Did you do it already?"

„I did it in History" the older brunette replied.

The half-blood hummed „Did you do it from the textbook only or other books in the library?"

„Library. I let Caitlin borrow it, she said she will be doing the work with Paddy and Daniel right about now" Saeko directed her friend.

„Cool. I'm going to join them then. You have plans?" Ashley asked.

Saeko shrugged „Not any more. I think I'll go for a jog, I have to maintain this awesome body afterall."

The smaller girl rolled her eyes and went to find her Ravenclaw classmates.

XXX

**Library**

The ninja was sitting in the library by herself, reading. She chose a table that concealed her the most from the watchful eye of the librarian.

„My, my miss Uchiha, what would Madam Pince say?" a teasing voice said behind the kunoichi.

„Holy fuck!" Saeko exclaimed and hastily sat properly – ergo without her legs perched on the table, silently cursing herself for not paying attention to her surroundings other than Pince.

Lauren smirked „And what colourful language!"

„Well, I try" the brunette smiled and motioned to her herbology partner to sit.

The redhead obliged and peered at the title of the book Saeko was reading „House elves?"

„Very intresting reading. We don't have them back home so I was doing a little research" the chuunin explained.

Lauren frowned a bit „Well, most of the wealthy families have them. Very useful creatures. It's puzzling they actually like to serve."

„You have one?" Saeko asked, quite curious.

The redhead brushed a strand of hair from her face „Well, yes of course. Several actually. Took care of me while I was a kid."

„That doesn't sound right" the scarred brunette frowned, „You pureblood? I know it's not really polite to ask but Slytherins tend to flaunt it…"

„Yes, I am. The noble House of Lewis, or what's left of it" Lauren waved her hand dismissivly. The ninja did not relent and continued to stare at her companion. The Snake sighed „Parents died when I was small, raised by aunt and uncle."

„That sucks. I'm the same if it helps. Raised by my brother though and I know I'm far better off that way. Hey, can you tell me about your House Elves? I'm sure it would be more insightful that a book" Saeko redirected, the conversation getting uncomfortable since they wern't _friends_ per se.

Lauren smiled, appredciating the gesture and obliged. The chuunin listened avidly, a plan for getting better food already being formulated.

„Ok, I have nothing more" said the Brit when she finished her mini-lecture. Saeko nodded and smiled gratefully. Luren nodded in aknowledgement. „Hey, Uchiha why do you keep wearing gloves? She asked when the thought came to her suddenly.

The kunoichi let out a short laugh „Yeah, people keep asking me that here. Well at home it's far from unusual. I'm a swordsman, gloves give me a better grip and protection from callouses". The _'so I don't damage my hands during fire and lightening jutsus_' went unsaid. Thinking for a sec „And I'm just used to them. And I love them and they are cool, thank you very much."

„Well if you think so" Lauren said teasingly, „So swordsman, huh. Like for real? Why swords when you have magic?"

Saeko leaned back in her chair „And I am awesome in both disciplines. Most of my family wields a sword."

The Slytherin eyed her sceptically, really not understanding a, in her mind, superflous skill. But tradition was tradition, she could understand that „Suit yourself. But I did read that Japan is quite famous for their blades."

„Yup" the ninja smiled, it was close enough afterall.

XXX

Saeko rubbed her eyes tiredly. She sat on the floor of her and Ashley's room with a multitude of books opened around her with random pieces of parchment covered in notes strewn all over her bed.

The chuunin was frowning in concentration when her roommate entered, Helena tagging along with a book under her arm „Beginning to study for the exams? I was thinking to start on the weekend."

„I don't think it will be hard for us but I wish to excel so this weekend sounds good" the blonde mused.

Saeko nodded „Not really. But weekend sounds good, we could make an overview together", she was prompt with closing her reading materials, not really wanting to be confronted about them. She was studying various fire charms and curses and looking to create new jutsu with the knowledge.

The british girls eyed her suspiciously but learned early that such questions were rarely replied to. Ashley sat down on her bed „What do you think will be tested?"

Helena took the chair „Well, the wand subjects are usually both written and practical. I have no doubt that the history test will be on Goblin rebellions. No idea about the others."

„We could ask Geoffrey or some other older-year, just to have an idea" Saeko proposed.

„Hm. I would bet that Flitwick will ask the animation charm we learned in march. I just have that feeling" Ashley said in a pseudo-mysterious voice.

The chuunin tapped her book absent-mindedly „Well, it was one of the harder things we did so it's plausible."

Helena rolled her eyes „Whatever. We need to review all the work. How about we camp here in your room and start with transfiguration?"

„Really, here? Wouldn't it be better to do it in a bigger group, with Peter and the others?" Ashley frowned.

The blonde shrugged „It would be faster with just us, but I don't really cere as long as I'm not hindered."

„We could do a Ravenclaw study session, it would boost our reputation as the most intelligent and studious House. We do need to take over the ten top students spots" the kunoichi let her competitive side show.

„I'll ask them" Ashley voluteered being the most social and friendly among them.

XXX

About half of the Ravenclaw first-years were sat by the lake, chilling after their first two exams – them being charms and astronomy.

„So no one has anything to say? I told ya weeks ago we would have to do the animation charm!" Ashley said with a huge smug grin.

Everybody stayed silent, not wanting to boost the brunette's ego. Finally Peter broke „Yes, you were right. Any predictions for transfiguration or better yet potions?"

„No, nirvana has not come. I'm certain about the Goblin rebellions for history though" Ashley smiled at her joke.

„No shit Sherlock" Caitlin rolled her eyes.

„Yeah, I think tomorrow's test will be no surprise" Graham laughed, „Well the morning anyway. No idea about herbology though."

The group sat there speculating as well as soaking up the sunshine, it was a very nice day afterall. The idyl was broked by Patrick „So herbology?" he asked and held up his book.

„Herbology" the group chorused a bit morosely and opened their books and notebooks.

The Ravens continued with their study with relative calm, a huge difference from some other students, mainly the Gryffs and also the other half of their house classmates – Michelle and her friends had been freaking out for a month before the exams even started. It got to the point that Helena yelled at her roommate and once she actually slept in Saeko and Ashley's room.

It was getting quite late when Peter shut his book and stopped the dabate on Devil's Snare „I think we are prepared! I'm tired and hungry, let's stop."

Saeko closed her notes „I agree, I'm quite fed up as well. I think we got it."

With a chorus of „'key" the group packed up their things. Rolling one of his parchment Daniel spoke up „Pity we don't get points for the exams too."

„Too true!" Caitlin agreed, „I still can't stomach that the Snakes will take the cup. I'm all for quidditch but this sucks!"

„Maybe next year" Ashley spoke up, „Everyone knows we would've won if we didn't end up in last place in quidditch. I hope the new captain will make things better."

Still muttering about their misfortune the Ravens made their way back into the Castle for supper. They all agreed not to study at the last minute and actually sleep as their Head of House raccomanded – every year there was at least one nervous breakdown, 5th years with their OWLs were the most frequent victims.

„Yum, shepard's pie, my favourite!" Graham exclaimed when they sat down at their table.

„Yeah, it figures they would give the heaviest dish I know just before another exam. It makes so much sense!" the Uchiha said, her voice laden with sarcasm. All the brits rolled their eyes. Saeko muttered mutiniously „No wonder some people puke before the test."

„Oh, sush you" Ashley elbowed her friend and picked up her fork.

XXX

„Finally finished" Ashley sighed heavily when they were done with the last and the most uncomfortable test that year – potions.

„Yeah. But Snape is definitely a dick, he was literally looking over my shoulder when I was powdering tha valerian sprigs, super wierd" Saeko shivered in discomfort.

„Indeed. Pity it's not him who is leaving the post instead of professor Littlefield" Helena agreed.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Common Room**

The room was absolutely packed for the first time since they got into the Castle. All the students were holding their score letters which arrived by mail earlier today. Saeko was proudly holding her letter which spotred straight Os and the number 1 in overall ranking.

After the exams each student's scores were tallied up and averaged out so the students could be ranked amongst their peers. It wasn't much of a surprise that most of the top ten consisted of Ravenclaw students with one lone Hufflepuff and two Slytherins.

The score-sheet was displayed not only outside the Great Hall but also in their common room for all to see.

The room hushed when Flitwick entered „Everyone has received their results, excellent!", he squeked with joy „For 7th to 2nd years you know the drill, for those uninformed you should know that the number one student of each year recieves a special gift from me should they be in Ravenclaw."

Someone from the back said cockily „When aren't they". The room agreed with laughter.

Flitwick himself grinned „Quite true. Now I'm proud to say that all the years have a raven at the top. So come to collect your prize!"

Five students came into the center of the room – the 5th and 7th had OWLs and NEWTs and not the regular tests. Saeko stood tall among her upperclassmen and bowed slightly when her Head of House gave her a gift certificate for Flourish and Blotts with a kind smile. The room clapped politely.

„You've all earned some rest, so have fun for the rest of the evening until the feast tonight. Congratulations for passing. Have a nice feast and summer" Flitwick smiled.

When the professor left the room began buzzing anew. Saeko was congratulated by her fellow first-years and some of the prefects. Helena was mildly disappointed as she held the number 3 in the overall score, her great dislike in herbology was obvious in the grade. Ashley considered her 8th place a success, especially since she was placed first in the history test and heartily congratulated her friend. Saeko eyed the score-sheet once more and was pleased to note her Slytherin friend was number 12.

The rest of the evening they spent packing their stuff and talking, mainly about their plans for the summer. Ashley was exctatic about her family's plans for Peru as well as a muggle concert she was planning to attend.

Saeko was a bit melancholic when they discended to the Grat Hall for the feast. She was looking forward to return to Konoha but couldn't help thinking she will miss the calm of the Castle and her friends.

The feast was grandious, the ninja even enjoyed her food. Hearing that Slytherin won the House Cup was disappointing but not surprising. Ravenclaw placed second but stilll…

One borderline condescending speech from Headmaster Dumbledore the students retired to their dorms and soon enough they all stood at the station in Hogsmeade.

The train ride was somehow far shorter than the one of arrival. Saeko's Raven friends spent it playing various card games – not for money despite Helena's loud and frequent protests.

The ninja endured several hugs and said goodbye to her company. One more wave later she grasped the portkey that professor MacGonagall gave her prior to leaving the school and as the clock struck half past she poofed out.

XXX


	13. 1- 13 Konoha's Show

_Here come the Chuunin Exams! To be honest they are the arc I love the most in Naruto..._

* * *

><p><strong>*Konoha's Show*<strong>

Saeko was unpacking her things, organizing her books and scrolls with love when her brother came knocking „Everything settled?"

„Almost, what do you need?" the girl asked.

Itachi sat down and eyed the chuunin seriously „The tournament of the Chuunin Exam is in four days. You need to be briefed."

The young kunoichi nodded and listened in silence to the possible scenario for the third exam. When her lord was finished she frowned „Orochimaru? This is bad. I will be ready though, don't worry". After a contemplative silence „So you proctor the exam, nice."

The shinobi shrugged „It was supposed to be Gekkou Hayate but he was killed."

„Oh" Saeko exhaled, „he was the sickly swordsman right?"

The Uchiha lord nodded „How was the report for the Hokage?"

„Long. It was a 10 months-long mission afterall. Quite exhausting" the brunette rubbed her eyes.

„Well, it's late. How about a spar tomorrow? Your friends are competing in the exam anyways" Itachi proposed.

„Getting ready for possible attack? Of course! I need to get back in the game!" Saeko nodded with a smile and cracked her knuckles.

XXX

**Konoha's arena**

Saeko looked with pride at her brother as he explained the rules of the third exam. Most of the genin listened stoically eyeing their opponents.

Itachi called for the start of the first match „Hyuuga Neji of Konoha VS Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha. Contestants ready? Then hajime!"

The fight started. Saeko knew enough about Neji's abilities and style of fighting but Naruto was a mystery since she hadn't seen him in action since he became a genin. Kakashi certainly made a difference – the blonds' taijutsu form was miles better, as was his weapon's prowess. Saeko was surprised to see Kage Bushin in Naruto's repertoire.

The first big action was when Naruto's jutsu multiplied his projectiles into a veritable rain of steel. Neji had no other way to escape used his ace in the hole, a technique that he wasn't supposed to know. Kaiten drew gasps from all the Hyuuga spectators.

Fighting on Neji managed to control the match. Deciding to finish it he called for his prized technique, the Hakke: Rokujuyoncho. Naruto had no chance.

There came another surprise – the blond obviously begun to train with Kyuubi's chakra. The Foxes' power shook off all the effects of the technique and the fight begun anew. Finally both ninja devised bluffs and traps for each other.

When the smoke settled it was Naruto who stood victorious. It seemed the white-eyed ninja underestimated the blond's cunning and trap making skills. Saeko sighed as the Uzumaki was proclaimed the winner.

The next match was long and boring – both Shikamaru and the Kazekege's daughter were skilled strategists. The only really exciting moment was the very end – the Nara heir managed to catch his opponent in Kagemane but surrendered anyway.

The civilian spectators were frustrated but the Konoha ninja just muttered „Lazy Naras".

The third match was a complete disappointment as Suna's Kankurou surrendered even before setting foot into the arena.

„Sabaku no Gaara of Sunagakure VS Sai of Konohagakure!" Itachi called the next contestants into the arena.

Saeko tensed when the Suna jinchuuriki shunshined down to face the pale boy with Konoha's hitai-ate. She subtly glanced around her, dreading Itachi's warning will ring true. But seeing she was in her assigned position she reasoned she couldn't do more.

The match begun and it was clear from the start it would be a brutal one. It was obvious both ninja were well above genin level. Gaara mainly defended, his sand keeping out various beasts made of ink, but soon enough got angry and his sand transformed into a formidable weapon.

Sai kept evading with high speed. Several times he used ink clones as diversions as well as a mist technique. Gaara grew livid as he couldn't catch his prey. When one of Sai's techniques struck true the Suna genin screamed.

The Leaf nin tried to capitalize on the moment but Gaara enveloped himself by a big dome. Sai tried to penetrate it but had no luck. Drawing several birds he used his animation jutsu and those birds took flight, each carrying three explosive notes.

A loud boom erupted from the middle of the arena but the dome was still very much in place. Thinking for a second Sai sat down and begun drawing once more.

The spectators were silent, anxiously anticipating the face-off. Finally the pale boy was finished. He murmured the technique and the ink seeped from his scroll into the floor of the arena. Suddenly another scream broke the silence and the dome cracked.

The Suna boy hidden inside was clearly not entirely human anymore.

XXX

Saeko nearly scoffed when she felt the familiar tendrils of a genjutsu trying to take hold of her senses, as if something like that could work on an Uchiha. Quickly dispelling it she looked around the stadium, trying to assess the situation.

An invasion. Her brother had warned that it could be possible so it wasn't such a shock. The attackers were wearing Oto and Suna headbands. Saeko knew who was the driving force behind Sound – Orochimaru. And where was that treacherous snake there were other snakes – summoned and very real.

Before she could do more two foreign ninja tried to take her out of the fight early. The young Uchiha dispatched them without as much as a glance. Biting on her thumb se went through the familiar motions that were the summoning jutsu „Kuchiose no Jutsu!"

With a puff of smoke a big raven appeared hovering in mid-air. Saeko quickly hopped on and stood between the raven's wings, the hold perfected over the months she commuted in the summoner's realm „Unndra, I need your help"

„So I see" said a surprisingly feminine voice of the pitch-black bird, „High and above, observe and attack?"

„You know me so well" the chuunin said solemnly as they flew out of the battlefield that was the stadium.

Saeko took the situation in with a single glance all around her. It didn't look good but Konoha withstood many disasters and they will prevail once more. The Hokage booth was encased in a large purple barrier but seeing that outside of it were several ANBU and her brother she turned her gaze elsewhere.

Finally she decided „We'll take down the snakes."

Unndra adjusted their course and sped up considerably – she was known as being one of the most agile and fast ravens among her family „Righty ho then!"

The young kunoichi just nodded and unsealed her gunbai. She hadn't used her battle fan in a while but this occasion merited it. The summoned snakes were attacking the walls that guarded Konoha so she could use her favorite jutsus that would be just too destructive if used within the village.

Deciding to use one of her new inventions, one she developed while studying various fire spells in Hogwarts library, she did a set of hand seals and took a big breath. When se exhaled a huge cone of dark purple flames erupted from between her lips. The fire sped up and she swung her fan enhanced with wind chakra as did her ride with her wings.

A loud hissing ensued but quickly died out as the chuunin torched three offending snakes and another one catching fire. This momentary reprieve allowed a group of Leaf chuunin to escape and run inside the village.

„Katon: Karuudan no Jutsu" was the witches' next technique of choice. The dragon, overcharged to the point the flames were nearly white, sped through the mass of summoned snakes, too hot to parry or evade.

„Good job!" said a loud but serious voice from Saeko's left. Turning to see who it was she had to smile as it was Jiraiya upon the famed Gamabunta, followed by other large toads.

The duo worked in tandem until all the invading animals perished or escaped into the summoner's realm. Despite this being an all out war Saeko was enjoying herself immensely as she could try out all the jutsus she worked so hard for but never really used since they caused too much damage.

„Return to the village, you have vintage point, we need that" said the white-haired man. The girl nodded and saw the toad jump towards the west wall where a big fight was going on.

„You heard the man, to the village. I'm planning on sniping the enemy, so as much speed as possible and full evasive maneuvers" the young Uchiha ordered.

Unndra obliged and soon they were speeding over the roofs of Konoha. Saeko sealed her fan back in her arm and drew her two wands. Spells were great for strike and dash.

„Desangueo" was the first curse she murmured and a Suna nin collapsed bleeding before he could cut a badly injured Leaf chuunin.

Saeko and her raven tore through Konoha, killing anyone who was unfortunate enough to have the wrong uniform, flying between the buildings attacking and defending. „Reducto. Expelliarmus. Tarantallegra" she fired the spell back to back.

Deciding to be bold she murmured „Deletrius" towards an approaching jutsu. The vanishing charm worked splendidly and it's caster stood there dumbfounded until another Konoha nin chopped his head off. The girl allowed herself a smile.

When the duo was nearing the Academy Saeko spotted a lone Nara chuunin holding several attackers in his shadow bind, clearly trying to figure out how to finish them off quickly. One 'Bombarda' later the dilemma was over.

Soon she was identified as one of the biggest threats and a volley of kunai and shuriken sought to take her from the sky. Seeing Unndra could not evade she casted a massive shield charm to protect them. The Protego Aegis soon dissipated and the attackers found themselves caught in a powerful genjutsu, courtesy of her sharingan.

Her bloodline was helping her to deal with her summon's speed so that she didn't experience tunnel vision but her eyes were starting to tire having them active all the time. The brunette was not worried because her training would allow her to pull through without problems and the fact that the battle was winding down.

Saeko sighed in relief as she started to see more and more dead Suna and Oto ninja while her fellow Leaf remained alive.

Over at the training grounds the scarred brunette saw the Hyuuga lord deal with several attackers single-handedly. Flying on she disarmed an oddly shaped Sound ninja that was about to kill a heavily bleeding jounin. „Lacero" she spat out as the enemy collapsed onto his intended victim.

As she and Unndra fought on and on Saeko was very pleased to notice that magic did not tire her as much as jutsu. While she heavily trained endurance she was aware that she would be collapsing by now of chakra strain. She was more than capable to fight as regular forces do, mainly taijutsu and weapons, jutsu only sparingly but she liked the possibilities magic provided her. Spells and jutsu tended to resolve the matters quickly albeit messily.

Finally her raven climbed higher to spot any more enemies. Saeko grinned as only few pocket of resistance were found „Looks like this will be the final round!"

„Looks like. This is fun though, be sure to summon me next time you do something like this" the raven flapped her wings.

„Aye, aye" the girl laughed as they prepared themselves to take out the remainder of the invading force.

XXX

**A month later**

The month that followed the invasion was hard for everybody, civilian and ninja alike. The genin were tasked to rebuild all the buildings and infrastructure that was damaged by enemy attacks. The chuunin were right behind them, alternating between that and doing missions – Konoha accepted missions left and right to prove to the world that they are still big in the game. Their reputation as the strongest village was well deserved and withstanding an invasion of two invading villages only proved it further but Leaf needed to be seen - active and strong.

The only upside Saeko could see was that she had plenty time to talk to her friends during the reconstruction. Well and being seen in action by fellow ninja during missions was a big bonus and part of her no so secret 'Hokage campaign'.

It was late when Saeko went to the Uchiha compound from her mission. Itachi was in his office so she knocked. „Come in!" the Uchiha lord spoke.

„It's me nii-sama, is now a good time?" Saeko asked.

„Of course" Itachi smiled at his sister and put his brush down. Itachi looked tired as well – the council was working overtime on the political consequences of the invasion. And that was without his ANBU duties.

„Any news?" the young brunette asked.

The older sibling sighed „The truce and the new alliance with Suna is almost finalized. The terms are quite generous but naturally very much in favour for Konoha. Not much political backlash, everything has been sorted out. I expect next week everything will be back to normal."

The kunoichi poured herself a cup of tea „Good. Hey, do you think there will be promotions out of the chuunin exam even if it was such a fiasco?"

„There has been talk about it. I think the Nara heir is a shoe in, but this wasn't exactly a priority" Itachi answered.

„What about Neji and Naruto?" Saeko inquired.

The Uchiha lord hummed „Well, from the matches I am unsure, but with the invasion… Uzumaki did defeat a jinchuuriki afterall. It is not my call, the Hokage will decide."

„True" Saeko sighed.

Itachi frowned „What's this really about?"

The girl smiled at her brother's insight „The invasion was Orochimaru's idea. I know that Sarutobi-sama regards him as his biggest mistake and hates the fact he was not able to stop him – not then and not now. I fear he will appoint his successor for the Hokage post. Naturally I'm a mere chuunin and too young. I fear my chance just flew out of the window."

The shinobi nodded „We'll see. But I think he will not. Tsunade is not even in the village, Jiraiya is too busy. Kakashi could do it or me maybe but I think he will wait for a candidate who actually wants it. Sarutobi-sama fought two undead Hokages and Orochimaru and still prevailed. I think the council will not push."

„Yeah, but it was you who finished the Nidaime with Amaterasu. And Orochimaru escaped, reverse summoned but escaped" Saeko continued frowning.

„Yes, he escaped but nearly died. With no legs and only one hand. Maybe Orochimaru being the mad scientist he is could recover but it is highly unlikely. And the invasion was quite minor, I believe the snake sought to kill his sensei and nothing more" Itachi reasoned.

„Well, we'll see. How did you and the ANBU get past the barrier anyway?" Saeko asked.

The young man sighed „Tsukuyomi – I got one of the guardians to drop his barrier."

„So that's why you were so tired and depleted afterwards" Saeko nodded, frowning she continued „you should be Hokage, you would deserve it and you are eligible."

„Stop being so pessimistic. We have to wait and see" Itachi said in a mild voice. Saeko nodded. Deciding she should take a bath she bid her brother goodbye.

XXX

**Ichiraku's**

Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru were slowly eating their ramen while Chouji and Naruto made it into a contest. The competing duo was four bowls up when Saeko walked into the stand. „Hey guys!"

Three hellos and two unintelligible sounds greeted her. Saeko chuckled, sat down and ordered for herself, „How are ya, guys?"

Those who were finished with their meals talked to the brunette among the slurping sounds their two friends made. The young ninja spoke about the invasion again, the exams and the missions they took while Saeko was away. The brunette particularly liked the show that Ibiki and Anko put up during the first exam.

Finally Naruto and Chouji ate out Ichiraku and their competition ended in a tie. Wiping his mouth the blond genin turned to Saeko „So Uchiha, ready to be the same rank as me? I totally nailed the exam and I defeated Gaara!"

The brunette shrugged „Yes, good job on that. You defeated _one_ ninja. One, very big and very strong but _one_. I took care of several summoned snakes, also huge by the way and I lost count on how many ninja. I win, you lose my dear Naruto."

The blond sputtered and begun a loud argument. Saeko replied with much practiced Uchiha superiority and a smirk. She secretly loved these arguments with her rival. Their friends were enjoying the show as well.

This continued for quite a while when Saeko finally stood up „I need to go guys. See ya. And you too _genin Uzumaki_", she winked. Grinning she exited the ramen stand and leisurely strolled towards the Uchiha compound.

XXX

**Hokage's office**

Saeko stood at attention before the Hokage, slightly nervous as what this was about. Sarutobi smiled and puffed on his pipe. He was looking much better now, all healed up.

„I imagine you are wondering why I called you here" the old man smiled.

„Indeed Sarutobi-sama. Any problems with my long-term mission?" the brunette asked worriedly.

„Quite the contrary" the elder said, „It was noted how you used 'new jutsus' in the invasion. Mahoujutsu really proved itself. Your actions during the invasion were commendable to say the least, as many ninja as well as my own student reported. Unfortunately, or not depending from your point of view, several foreign shinobi noticed too". At this the elder threw a small book to the brunette.

The scarred girl caught it and looked with question in her eyes at her leader. „Turn to page 145" the Hokage instructed.

Saeko looked the book over, realizing it's the Bingo Book, that could only mean one thing. It indeed was. The page held her photo and the title _Konoha no Amaterasu_. She smirked at the moniker, quite pleased with it. Looking the information over she noticed it held no mention of magic, just her katon prowess, sharingan and genjutsu as well as her summoning contract with ravens. „Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I always planned on being seen if I wanted to go for your job."

Sarutobi nodded heavily „True. Just be careful, the bounty is quite high. Also there is one irregularity I plan to remedy in a moment". Saeko just tilted her head to the side. The old Hokage smiled widely „It lists you as jounin rank."

„You mean…" Saeko gasped.

„Indeed, congratulations jounin Uchiha" Hiruzen said and unsealed a dark green flack jacket, symbol of her new rank.

The brunette was speechless for a moment but then squealed in a very non-Uchiha manner, „Thank you Hokage-sama! You shall not be disappointed."

„I know I won't. You probably were ready even before but now it is quite clear that you belong with the elite of this village. And I must say I like your moniker, your ability with fire jutsus is one of the best in the entire village, your clan included" said Sarutobi.

Saeko took off the chuunin vest and sealed it into a scroll. She put the new one on with a big smile. The elder leaned back in his chair „Very nice. Now off you go Saeko-kun, I have more promotions to make."

The new jounin bowed and exited the office.

XXX

„Uchiha! Hey, wait up!" said an exuberant voice behind the brunette.

Saeko obliged, stopped and turned to face her blond friend. Naruto's grin threatened to split his face. He made show to adjust his brand new flack jacket „See! I told you I'll catch up with you soon enough! Hokage-jiji recognized my awesomeness and I got promoted to chuunin!"

Before Saeko could answer two more boys with new jackets approached the duo. Saeko lit up at seeing the mild smile her best friend was spotting „Congratulations Neji, you deserve it. You too Shika, the match was boring as hell but brilliant and very much Nara."

Neji's smile widened „Thank you Saeko. I would like to talk to you later, I must go to the compound. Congratulations by the way". The young Uchiha more than understood his eagerness to show off his new promotion to all the Hyuuga, the main branch in particular. His relationship with Hiashi and Hinata improved a lot since he learned about his father and the truth behind the 'Hyuuga incident' but naturally he could not help himself, especially when being held back for so long.

„Mendokse" was Shikamaru's reply in turn, „I really don't know if I wanted to be promoted."

„Why not!?" Naruto exclaimed, the idea unfathomable to him.

The Nara heir shrugged „No more easy missions, actual responsibility. I could go on."

„Yeah, but your mum is appeased and will leave your non-ambitions alone for a while. And you don't have to do the exams again. I understand they were a drag" Saeko reasoned getting another shrug in return.

Naruto had enough being ignored by his rival „No comment for me teme?"

The brunette smirked „Congratulations."

It wasn't enough for the blonde „Hah! I know! Now we are the same rank and soon I will surpass you and become Hokage!"

Saeko stood still smirking, waiting for the punch line which came soon enough. Shikamaru rolled his eyes „Baka, can't you see the vest she is wearing?" Saeko was indeed in the standard Konoha uniform but this time she had a darker vest on.

„What?" Naruto still couldn't see it.

„Congratulations Saeko. You make a fine jounin" said Saeko's pineapple-haired friend without his usual bored voice.

„WHAT?" was Naruto's reaction. „Jounin? No way! That's so not fair!"

The brunette shot him the Uchiha smirk „Yep. I'm soo ahead my dear Naruto, watch me claim the Hat. Oh, and unfortunately I'm in the Bingo Book too. It gives fame and recognition but it makes life that more dangerous."

The Uzumaki whined in defeat and went to get his ramen fix. Saeko and Shikamaru watched him go „Mendokse."

„Indeed" the kunoichi smiled, „What did the Hokage say during the promotions? I'm very curious."

The new chuunin shrugged „Well, it's obvious that Konoha needs to replace the dead from the invasion, otherwise I don't think we would get promoted."

„Nah, your match was brilliant, I told you already. A chuunin is a leader and thinker, your strategy earned you the vest fair and square" Saeko lightly punched her friend's arm.

„Mendokse. About Neji and Naruto Hokage said it was really close and that the match in the exam wouldn't have sufficed. It was mainly their actions during the invasion that got them the promotion" Shikamaru continued.

Saeko hummed „Yeah, I figured. Hey, I really need to go but maybe us newly promoted could go on a mission together?"

„I need to see father anyways. Yeah, that could be nice, I'm already used to a blond loudmouth on the team after all" said the Nara heir and waved goodbye.

* * *

><p><em>And we have a jounin! And I just had to promote Naji - he's my favorite character in Naruto. Well, one of the top five...<em>


	14. 2- 14 Back to School

**As you probably guessed from the title this chapter marks the beginning of the second year. This year will be longer and slower-paced. Now that the characters are mostly 13 the real fun can begin...**

* * *

><p><strong>*Back to School*<strong>

Saeko made herself comfortable in the still almost empty train. This time she was already wearing her Hogwarts uniform but the rest was the same – the scroll with her possessions and a book in her hand.

„Early, eh Saeko?" said a familiar voice, „Lucky I decided to check the compartments, I was sure to be the first here."

„Hello Helena. I needed to go to Diagon Alley one more time so I went this morning" the ninja explained to her friend.

The Grey heiress looked critically at the seat but sat down anyway, crossing her legs she asked „Whyever for?"

„To pick up the broom I ordered and Beater gear" the brunette grinned.

„Oh joy. I am sure Ashley and the other will be exctatic to discuss that with you. You know I have little intrest in quidditch and things related. How about we talk about your summer?" the blonde proposed.

The scarred ninja smiled proudly „It was really busy but I got promoted out of it. The rest same old same old."

„Promoted? Congratulations! What does this make you?" Helena patted her friend's knee.

„Jounin, the highest rank achievable without politics involved. Many of my friends in Konoha were promoted as well, but to chuunin, my rival included" Saeko boasted.

„That's what you were before right? Must've been an exciting summer" the pure-blood mused.

The kunoichi sighed „Yeah, Konoha had to repel an invasion. But we won, quite decisively if I may say so. I'm actually looking forward to relax at Hogwarts."

Helena was quite speechless, not really grasping a concept of having to battle. Since she could not contribute she said „Wow. Well, my holiday was very tame in comparison. I practically did nothing."

„You said you were going to India right? How was it?" Saeko asked.

Soon both girls were talking about various countries, Saeko even depicted some Elemantal nations, just geography and a bit of history. It was during this that Graham and Paddy entered the compartment. The conversation turned towards quidditch, respectively the World Cup that was hosted by Australia few weeks ago.

It was almost 11 when Ashley and Peter came barreling into the compartment. Saeko sighed in relief „Where were you? I was starting to worry you would miss the train."

„Yeah, me too!" Peter exhaled and sagged down into his seat.

Ashley sat down as well „We had a few hold-ups. Like somebody's mom forgot that Chile is in a different time zone!"

At this the group laughed and proceeded to integrate the newcomers into the conversation. Soon Helena held up a deck of cards and they begun to play. The young Ravens cheered when Saeko shared her intention to try-out for the beater position. Some were sceptical so the Uchiha challenged them all to arm-wrestling. No need to say she won all matches with a lazy smile. Caitlin was grumpy since she lost – she was planning to try-out for the chaser position next year.

It was almost dark when the conductor warned them they will be arriving soon. Since they all had their uniforms already on the group packed calmly.

Exiting the train they followed the string of older students, bypassing Hagrid who was calling forth the scared-looking firsties. The students from the second year up took carriages to the school. Saeko, Ashley, Helena and Caitlin took one together. „I always thought winged horses would be less leathery and more feathery" the ninja remarked.

„What?" Caitlin asked, arching her eyerbrows in confusion.

Saeko imitated her „The horses? You know those pulling the carriage?"

„I can't see anything. The carriage is going by itself" Helena asid slowly.

„No, they are not" Ashley spoke up before the jounin could argue. „It's pulled by thestrals."

„Thestrals?" the unseeing girls exclaimed.

Saeko crossed her arms „Could you explain? Those two seem distressed."

The smaller brunette cleared her throat „Thestrals are very rare creatures, considered dangerous by the Ministry. They are the basis of the muggle pagasus legends despite their grim appearance. Thestrals are considered omens of misfortune and agression because they are only visible to those who witnessed death and fully accepted the concept."

When Ashley finished her lecture Helena and Caitlin nodded with unease. Saeko just said „Really? Cool! How did you know and who did you see die? Sorry, that was insensitive."

The brunette shrugged „Mum told me about them, thestrals are studied in Care of Magical Creatures. She warned me this might happen – two years ago a member of my parents' expedition fell to his death and I have seen it all."

„Oh" Helena said and nodded in understanding.

Caitlin turned towards the Uchiha „And you Saeko?"

„I saw somebody being stabbed" the scarred jounin said nonchalantly. The irish girl was speechless. Helena deftly redirected and soon they were talking about the elective subjects for their third year.

The girls rejoined the group and they all sat at the Ravenclaw table, anxiously awaiting the feast. Oh, and the sorting of course. After the customary song the House of the Witted got itself ten new students and the plates filled themselves.

XXX

Ravenclaw students sat down in the DADA classroom, chatting quietly, wondering about their new teacher since he was not present at the welcomig feast.

The room hushed when the professor walked in – it was a very old woman of pygmy descent „Hello class. I am Bangasé, just Bangasé. I will be teaching you Defence Agains of the Dark Arts this year, as a favour to Dumbledore."

The dark-skinned woman begun to take the attendance while the Gryffindors begun whispering. The topic of the conversations was naturally the new teacher. „Who do you think is taller Flitwick or her?" a girl behind Saeko said quietly to her friend as they bursted in giggles.

„If you all do not shut up I shall do a demontration of the Tongue-tying curse" Bangasé warned the class. The threat worked and she could take the tall in silence.

When the professor was finished she smirked and begun talking about the Tongue-tying curse and its purpose. Soon the class had the wands out trying to replicate the spell. As usual Saeko was the first to manage it and it earned her House 10 points and a glare from the toungue-tied Ashley.

The lesson continued in a similar manner until the bell. Saeko liked her new teacher and her no nonsense attitude. Several times when the students, read Gryffs, began talking or generally not doing what they were supposed to she fixed them with a truly horrible glare.

„I hear the Lions began calling her voodoo lady, real classy" Ashley said sarcastically.

„They are Lions afterall" Helena sighed as they made their way to their dorms, having a free period.

Saeko answered the riddle and when they entered the Ravenclaw common room she turned to face her friends „I was thinking of going for a jog and maybe try out my new broom. Yesterday I looked who's got the captain's badge and it's Todd, I have a shot with her but I haven't flown since the lessons last year."

Her friends nodded, clearly not wanting to join her. Ashley shifted her bag onto her other shoulder „Ok, I'll see you at lunch then. I will be up in our room decorating."

„Yes, I had the same idea. And I have to monitor Michelle not to put up any obnoxious pink or fluffy stuff. Merlin knows her stuffed animals are enough" Helena sighed and the trio went to their rooms.

The Uchiha unsealed her brand new broom. She unpacked it thinking it looked kinda cool. Changing into her workout clothes she ran to her favourite spot in the Forest, summoning a raven to take her out of there. When she poofed into the summoner's realm she mouted her broom and took flight.

„Even on this stick you are a natural flyer" said Lykke, one of her favourite ravens.

„Of course I am, I got to summon your kind" Saeko smirked at the praise, „Hey, could you and some friends of yours help me train for something? I just need you to throw stuff at me, trying to catch me and some other stuff."

„Sound like fun" the albino sing-songed.

Seeing the glint in his eyes she murmured „Kami help me. Well, I bet I will be the most prepared beater Hogwarts has ever seen."

XXX

„Miss me?" Saeko said flirtatiously.

Lauren turned from her work bench to face the brunette and fired back „Should I?"

The jounin pouted and sat beside the Slytherin „I was thinking since we have herbology together this year as well we could continue being partners?"

Sighing the redhead said „Well, I could do worse than the numer one student of the year."

Taking that as a yes Saeko smiled „You noticed! I am flattered, number twelve. I bet in the individal marks you were first in herbology right?"

„Actually yes. You know, you should feel priviledged, after my results I had my classmates asking me to partner up with them" Lauren said with mock haughtiness.

The Uchiha smiled „Very Slytherin of them. And you answered that you too profit from partnering with number one right?"

Lauren smiled and nodded. Saeko laughed „Adorably predictable. So how was your summer?"

The duo chatted until the corpulent herbology professor came in and begun her lecture on Abyssinian Shriverlfigs. Saeko noticed her partner was positively enthusiastic about them and upon questioning Lauren shared she wish to become a healer, despite her family's position. The ninja took it as a sign of trust.

When the lesson ended Saeko bid goodbye to her friend and with her housemates made her way to the Ravenclaw tower. Ashley, Helena and Saeko took the seats near the window and with a cup of tea in their hands, courtesy of the Grey, they begun working on the homework assignement for DADA.

It was nearly time for dinner when Caitlin made their way to the trio with a smile on her face „Hey, Saeko. Todd just pinned to the board that she plans on having try-outs next Sunday."

„That was quick" the kunoichi mused, „Thank you Kate. Any ideas how much competition should I expect?"

The Irish girl dragged a chair towards them and sat down „Don't know yet. The word is she plans to keep the chasers as well as McPherson as the keeper if no one stellar comes up. The seeker spot is open and with the popularity that goes with it I expect quite a few contenders. Walker, the beater, said he retires from the team to concentrate on his NEWTs so here's your spot. She plans on keeping Bishop too but there will be try-outs for all positions."

Saeko was impressed with the amount of information and thanked the girl again. „No problem Uchiha, you seem confident that with you we can win so all I can do to help to make the blue-bronze victorious!" Caitlin said and hopped off.

XXX

„I repeat, EW" Helena let herself be heard.

Professor McGonagall shot her a glare „Take it as an incentive miss Grey. If your spell suceeds the 'ew' beetle will become a button."

When some student giggled the teacher fixed them with the same glare to shut them up and continued her explanation of this lesson's transfiguration. When she was finished and the class had all the notes they needed for the lesson professor McGonagall transfigured the handful of beetles she had on her table into buttons.

Saeko immediately followed suit, earning her eyerolls of the Gryffindors and 10 points for her House. Helena took the teacher's words to heart and managed the feat almost as soon as the ninja did.

The Uchiha lost intrest in the lesson, having completed the task and began wondering if the spell would work against an Aburame. The lesson dragged on so Saeko unsealed 'Quiddich through the Ages'. The only intresting thing to happen was when all the beetles assigned to a boy from Gryffindor escaped, he nearly hammered them into the table not just tapping them as per instruction and the scottish professor had to Accio them back.

The kunoichi smirked at another spell for her arsenal, one she was planning on asking some older year or just plain learn it by herself. Not long after the bell rang and all the students fleed the classroom.

On their way to the Tower to deposit their bags Ashley spoke up „They are not the cutest animals but they aren't bad. I don't really understand the reaction."

Helena shot the brunette a dirty look „Insects. Disgusting insects. They are almost as bad as herbology, they are so… outdoors."

The british duo begun arguing in the earnest, especially since Ashley loved outdoors and didn't mind dirt or insects at all - planning to be an archeologist would be quite difficult if it wasn't the case. Saeko sighed at her friends' antics and told them she was going out for some training. Since the try-outs were this Sunday neither girl minded.

Quickly changing into her casual clothing the kunoichi sealed her broom into her arm seal and jogged into the forest as usual. This time she had to evade Hagrid the gamekeeper who was patrolling the premises but she had no problems.

Getting far enough from the Castle and prying eyes she got herself reverse-summoned to meet her brother and maybe get the ravens to help her today as well.

XXX

Saeko stood confidently in the middle of the Hogwarts quidditch field, her broom over her shoulder. She wanted to make an impression, to be seen powerful enough to handle the bludgers. That was reflected in her outfit – black ANBU style pants, taped at her ankles and standard black shinobi sandals. Her top was more of a sports bra than anything, her abs on display, it was sleeveless to showcase her lean arm muscles as well. Foregoing her customary gloves she put the pair that came with her beater bat. All in all she excluded a 'don't fuck with me' air.

The pitch wasn't crowded – the Ravens tended to prefer brain over brawn that was needed in quidditch, especially with the dirty style of play the Slytherins adopted.

The current Ravenclaw team stood apart from the potentials and was discussing them in low voices. Once or twice they subtly turned to eye up the newbies. Finally their group broke up and the captain cleared her throat „Good morning everybody! You are here bacause you think you have what it takes to be on the team. If you don't already know I am Jamie Todd, captain and chaser. This year we need to fill mainly two spots – a beater and the seeker, but if you are here to try-out on any other position that's ok too. Now, if you could divide yourselves according to the positions."

Saeko joined three other hopeful beaters. They were all male, fourth and fifth years with more build than the average Raven. They were sizing themselves up, clearly not counting the ninja as competition.

There was only one other group, clearly no one was seeking to go against the current players. Captain Todd looked very pleased her chaser formation would remain intact and that she didn't have to judge the keepers. „Jared join the beaters" the captain instructed. The boy obeyed as Jamie faced the potentials once more „The beaters will go first. You will be judged on your flying, strenght and accuracy. Jared, take it from here please."

The broad-shouldered beater took the stage and instructed the four hopefuls about the exercices. When he was finished the foursome nodded in understanding and Jared took fight. The first contestant mounted his broom and spun his bat confidently.

The Uchiha decided to go last, to really outshine her competition. „You're next" Jamie shouted at the ninja. The brunette smirked.

The other potential beaters never had a chance. Saeko could cling to her broom with chakra and do manouvres they could only dream of. Being a ninja, a jounin to boot, meant her accuracy was beyond superb as was her strenght. On her last shots she decided to channel chakra through the bat to give it an extra kick. As the boys stood there dumbfounded there was no doubt she was the winner.

Todd was almost hopping in excitement „Excellent! We have our new beater. Jared will be staying so thank you all for the partecipation". The boys sighed in disappointment but not really in surprise. The captain smled at the kunoichi „Welcome to the team. What is your name?"

„Saeko Uchiha. Thank you" the scarred girl smiled and joined the raven chasers and keeper with Jared. Todd turned her attention to the seeker hopefuls. The chasers patted the brunette's back with a grin and did the same.

Saeko looked at her captain instead, not really intrested in the seeker try-outs. Jamie was stunning in the ninja's opinion – quite tall with platinum blonde hair. Saeko was quite sure her ancestry was islandic. Dressed in bright blue gear Todd made quite an imposant figure. The kunoichi was glad her captain was somebody she could respect.

It was nearing noon when a 5th year was selected to be seeker – a thin, handsome back boy. Jamie thanked the unsucessful seekers and turned to her newly completed team „Let's just do the preasentations for now, I'm starving. I booked the pitch for practice on Thursday after lessons. I expect you all to be there and ready. So as I said before I'm Jamie Todd, 5th year."

The russet haired boy to her left spoke up „Rory Gallaher, chaser, 4th year."

„Wayne Martin, same."

„Jared Bishop, beater, 4th year."

„Saeko Uchiha, beater, 2nd year". At this the two male chasers did a doubletake and nodded, impressed.

The keeper eyed her sceptically but merely said „Jeremy McPherson, keeper, 4th year."

„Gerald Frost, your new seeker, 5th year. But please call me Jerry" said the newcomer.

„Once again welcome to the team Saeko, Jerry. I hope that with you on board we can soar from our fourth place. I plan to have more frequent and harder practices and I hate whining so keep it to yourselves. Remember, thrusday" said threateningly and the team made it's way to the castle.

XXX

„Hey, have you two already finished the potions assignement?" Ashley asked her friends as they were clmbing the stairs that led to their dorms.

„Nope, not yet. I was thinking of doing it on the weekend. The greasy teme always requires a ton of research for a good grade" Saeko sighed and Helena nodded.

„Oh, okay, we can hit the library on Saturday, I'm not in the mood anyways. How about we just hang out in our room?" the smaller brunette planned. The two girls nodded.

Upon entering Ashley and Saeko's dorm they spotted a new bright blue garment on the ninja's bed. „What the…" she bugun but soon realized she was holding her new quidditch uniform, courtesy of the Castle's eleves.

The half-blood sighed „This looks so cool, try it on!"

Saeko obliged and swapped her uniform's coat with the quidditch one. The uniform was soft and warm but also evidently durable and windproof. It was made in the Ravenclaw colours – blue with bronze details, her House's crest proudly on the left side of her chest. On the back it read Uchiha in bold bronze letters. „Wicked" the ninja grinned in appreciation. Even Helena had to agree.

Ashley patted her friend's shoulder and teased „I guess you weren't lying then, you are our brand new beater. You better help our House win or else…"

„It'll be a breeze" Saeko boasted, „but you know we didn't even have one training session yet, right? Tomorrow we'll see how things go and how we all work together. I like Todd though, I think it'll go well. Do you think I should wear the uniform to practice too?"

„Don't know, I guess so. Ask Todd, maybe she wants her choices to be secret" Ashley mused.

The Uchiha shook her head „I don't think so, she would've said something by now. But it is not general knowledge who got onto the team. I'll ask her."

Helena spoke up despite her dislike of the sport „After your training give me a honest assesment, I plan on betting on the matches so I would like to know how we stand. Last year I won quite a coin on our losses."

„Yes, patriotic as fuck" Saeko grinned but nodded her assent. Ashley just rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I was thinking of adding known characters to the summary - right now there is OC with OC but that doesn´t show. Itachi deserves to be there, the rest I don´t know. What do you guys think?<em>


	15. 2- 15 Quidditch Season

***Quidditch Season***

Jamie was true to her word and had her team work very hard for Hogwarts standards, Saeko was usually the only one who left the trainings chipper and relatively energetic. The others, meaning those without shinobi stamina, had to drag themselves to the lockers and the journey to the castle was torture. Todd being the captain trained as vigorously as her team but it was obvious she trained during the summer or regularly. The Uchiha was glad she hadn't misjudged her.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the cold breeze of approaching october already present. The platinum haired blonde smiled at her still yawning team „Good morning! You will be glad to know I managed to book the field till noon". The chasers practically whined in protest, their bones and muscles already aching from the previous session and the fact it was very early in the morning hadn't helped. Jamie frowned „We want to be the best, so we need to work at it. Besides, I believe there is some saying about the early bird…"

"Yeah. The early bird is a bitch the rest of the day" Rory murmured.

The tall girl shot him a glare „The bad news is that the Gryffs and the Snakes have all the reasonable time slots already occupied until their match, so you get to rest for two weeks. No training but you will still be doing the routines – the jogs and workout, is that clear?"

"Hai taichou!" Saeko said with a brilliant smile among the half-hearted yes's of the rest of the team.

"Excellent" Jamie clapped her hands and made her team mount their brooms and begin the practice.

The training session was long and hard, their only reprieve was a half-hour break in the middle of it. The team sat together and enjoyed a light snack. To Saeko it reminded her of the breaks in the chuunin and later jounin lounge between missions - just sitting and talking. Rory and Wayne were the jokers of the group and provided most of the entertainment. This time they were describing a prank a pair of first-year Gryffindors pulled on Filch and his cat – the Weasley twins.

Finally the blonde captain called "Alright, I think that's enough for today."

"Merlin YES!" exclaimed Jared and immediately pointed his broom to the ground.

Saeko chuckled at her beater partner, knowing his stamina has greatly improved but he still loathed the exercises Todd was making them do. The Uchiha had convinced Jared on their second training session to join her in jogging and the basic routine she did almost every day. When she needed to disappear to the summoner's realm or when she was using her shinobi capabilities she naturally left him out but for the rest she figured it would benefit both him and the team. She also borrowed a leaf out of Kakashi's book and went through his teamwork exercises with her partner to get them in sync. Saeko was certain they would shine in the match against Hufflepuff that will be held in the first week of november.

Jamie regaled her team with a rare smile, she too was confident in their progress and abilities, not to mention they still had plenty of time to train for their first match of the season.

XXX

„I'm guessing the question whether we are going to tomorrow's match is moot" Helena sighed as the trio was enjoying a quiet evening by the fireplace.

Saeko chucked „Indeed. That reminds me that tomorrow I will be sitting with Jamie and the team, you know to strategize and scope up the competition. The Gryffs have a new seeker I think and the Snakes made changes too. Sorry guys."

Ashley nodded in understanding „Of course. We will be with Peter and the others, right Helena?"

„Sure. I've quite a bit of cash riding on this one so I guess I have to see it through" the blonde smirked over her cup.

„Who did you bet on?" the ninja asked genuinely curious.

The Grey heiress opened up a small notebook „Slytherin victory is 2 to 1. Very popular is also the bet that the Snakes will win with a more than a hundred and fifty point advantage. I shall not bore you any further but there is more. The first game is always an enigma with all the new players involved."

The Uchiha laughed loudly „You are not only betting, you are a bookie!"

Helena shrugged and hid her smile with another gulp of her premium quality tea.

„Can't believe it" Ashley murmured, „Why didn't you tell us?"

„You never asked. And you said you didn't like hazard that much. I already established myself last year, the gamblers always find each other. There is this system that there are usually two bookies per house – one for the lower years and one for the upper. The kingpin is Hughes in Slytherin if you are curious."

„Wow and you are organized" the shorter brunette eye-rolled.

„Seems more like a con to me. Excited to have me on the team – some inside information, some performance tampering perhaps?" Saeko asked her in joke.

The blonde put her tea down and shook her head vigorously „Of course not! If you lose money with me it's through your own stupidity not my tampering. What we, or at least I do is perfectly legal!"

„Ok, sorry, geez!" Saeko defended herself.

Helena settled down and the group begun talking about the homework they planned to do on the weekend – an innocuous subject. Saeko though to herself that her friend would indeed make a very good Slytherin.

XXX

The whole team sat in the front row of one of the Ravenclaw stands. Rory and Wayne somehow managed to bring regular muggle popcorn with them so the group was in for a treat.

The commentator, a boy from Hufflepuff, began introducing both teams while speculating on the newbies.

After a particularly nasty jab Jerry sighed "And here I thought Puffs were supposed to be nice."

"Nope, just loyal and we are competition afterall" Jared smirked and then turned apologetic, "And I think we can expect some heavy criticism at the start of our match. We are playing his House and, sorry Saeko, we have a new beater who is just 12 and a girl."

"And doesn't look like much" James smirked tad evilly.

Saeko crossed her arms "13 in two weeks actually, and my figure is perfect. And if I am correct if we did an abs show-off I would win hands down man-boobs!"

"Hey! I so don't have man-boobs, I'm in perfect shape!" the keeper begun but the argument was broken the second Jamie cleared her throat. Both Saeko and James glared at each other but then turned to their captain.

Jamie who was jotting down notes spoke up "Ok, back to business. So the Slytherins are more or less the same – Daugherty is still the captain so the plays will not be changing much. They have a new keeper, Baxley, so chasers pay attention to him. Dennison is the new beater, he replaced Monk. Monk was vicious so good riddance but we know nothing of this one – Saeko, Jared keep a close eye on him. After the game I expect you to break down their game so we can plan for them. Understood?"

The team nodded, their eyed darting to identify the targets. Todd nodded approvingly "The Gryffs have two new players as well. The new chaser is Pierce and they have a new seeker Leon White."

Wayne snorted in amusement "Leon White? That's the most Gryffindorish name I've ever heard".

The team chuckled but Jamie frowned „The word is he's actually quite good. He's the talk of their House actually. He has _fangirls_" she said in disgust. Saeko looked at the new scarlet seeker who was showing-off in mid-flight. She mused he was quite good-looking if you were into that – dark chestnut hair and a brilliant smile.

The game started and the team begun their study, their attention never waiving until White caught the snitch and managed to wrestle a very close victory for the House of Lions. Jamie stood up "I asked professor Flitwick to lend us the charms classroom so we can have a brainstorming in peace."

"A secret meeting, I dig it" Rory smirked and the team followed their captain back into the Castle.

XXX

Saeko dragged herself to her room. Opening the door she entered and without saying a word she let herself fall onto her bed.

„Hard training?" Ashley asked. The brunette was fiddling with her guitar while Helena read a book in a chair nearby.

„Surprisingly yes. I slightly miscalculated and went on my own training just before the team one" the ninja said, her voice muffled by the covers. Itachi had sent word he needed to meet her now since he would be on a mission and the spar got a bit out of hand.

Ashley chuckled „I have never seen you so tired before, it's quite a sight."

The kunoichi just groaned. The shorter brunette begun playing a soft melody and the girls listened. When Saeko was in danger of falling asleep she hastily stood up to clear her head. Making her way to the wardrobe she rummaged through her sealing scrolls. She found the one she wanted and with a swipe of chakra she unsealed a can of beer, still cold, courtesy of fuinjutsu.

„What is that?" Helena asked, looking up from her book.

„Beer. Nothing better to replenish stuff you sweated out" the Uchiha said nonchalantly, opened her can and sat down on her bed.

Ashley stopped playing „But that's alcohol! You know it's prohibited here at school. Not to mention you are underage."

Saeko snorted "Please. Live a little! Besides I am legally adult in Konoha and it's not like anyone would know."

Helena chimed in "I actually agree. Father lets me have a glass of wine sometimes, I never had beer though. Papa said it's pedestrian."

"You wanna taste?" Saeko asked her friend while Ashley looked on reprimandingly.

The pure-blood paused but nodded "Sure, why not."

Ashley looked as if she was ready to list all the 'why not' reasons but Saeko handed the beverage to Helena who took a hesitant sip "If you like it I can give you one for yourself. But after dinner, I wouldn't want you to roam the hallways of our castle utterly drunk since you have no tolerance."

Helena passed the beer back „Bitter, but not that bad. I think I prefer wine though."

"Suit yourself, it's an acquired taste. Maybe when we win our quidditch match our House will celebrate and actually include some smuggled alcohol" the jounin grinned.

Ashley arched her eyebrows "You think so?"

The Uchiha began unbraiding her hair "Of course. We are teenagers, being in a boarding school will stop no one from underage drinking, that's practically part of the experience – parties, hook-ups, drinking. As long as we don't make a mess I think we will be alright."

The blonde nodded "I think so too. Just because our House had nothing much to celebrate last year doesn't mean we can't party. And it is said it's always the quiet ones."

"Hm" was Ashley's only reaction and she resumed playing.

XXX

**Library**

Saeko perused the shelf that contained illusion charms, taking her pick she made her way to the reading area. The tables were mostly occupied, at least one student at each. The ninja looked around and spotted a Hufflepuff girl with a big stack of books beside her.

"Excuse me, could I join you" Saeko smiled charmingly at the brunette.

The girl looked up from her reading and smiled "Of course."

The Uchiha sat down with her own stack of books and begun her studies on western kinds of genjutsu. After quite a while she unsealed a blank parchment and jotted some ideas down.

"Useful trick" the Hufflepuff commented on the ninja's fuinjutsu.

"Like you wouldn't believe" Saeko smiled, "Many people ask me to teach them but it is clan magic and cannot be taught outside of it, sorry."

This piqued the girl's curiosity and the Uchiha gave her the cover/edited story. "Oh and I am Uchiha Saeko – clan name first, mine is second."

"I'm Faith Brennan, read the normal way" the girl joked.

Saeko looked at the titles of the books Faith was reading "You are taking runes? I would peg you a third year? How is it?"

"Yes, third year. I like runes but it's really hard, but among the electives it's definitely the most interesting one, at least in my opinion" Faith replied.

The scarred jounin hummed "I was thinking of choosing it next year as well. Care for magical creatures as the second."

"I hear Care is very good and professor Kettleburn makes it very interesting. I'm taking divination though. It's always useful to know the future right?" said the yellow-clad girl.

The ninja agreed and the duo begun talking about school and then runes. Saeko ended up helping her with an assignment for the class with her average knowledge of Norse runes – courtesy of her summon animals.

Closing the last of her books the kunoichi stretched her arms before her "Hey, you obviously have a free period like myself, how about a walk by the lake? I have been cooped up here for too long already."

The busty Hufflepuff smirked "A Ravenclaw who wants to flee the library, be still my heart!"

"That's discriminatory, we Ravens can lazy off like any other students!" the kunoichi joked, "So how about it, you have been here longer than I."

"Well, my assignment is finished, thank you by the way, so why not. Going out sounds good" Faith agreed and begun packing her things. Both girls returned the books they were using to the appropriate shelves and with Saeko's polite nod towards the librarian they took off.

XXX

The Ravenclaw team lined up before the entrance to the stadium. Saeko wasn't nervous but she was reminded of her Chuunin exams she took in Suna years ago. The screams of the spectators, the battle – same as in that Suna stadium she grew excited. She grinned and twirled her bat. "You okay? The first time can be a bit much" Jared whispered to his partner.

"More than okay, I can't wait to crush those Puffs and bring the Ravens to victory" the ninja smirked.

Jamie looked over her shoulder to smile at Saeko and her dramatic statement. The commentator just finished presenting the opposing team and it was their turn "Okay people, we can do this. Nay, we must, we trained too hard and victory is ours, so let's take it!"

The team nodded resolutely and mounted their brooms and waited for their cue from the commentator.

"_And here we have the Ravenclaws! McPherson, Todd, Gallaher, Martin, Uchiha, Bishop aaaand Frost!_" said the commentator and the spectators roared and clapped for the blue-clad team. After the noise died down a little he resumed "_As you can see the new captain, Todd, made a bold placement for beater this season. On beater spot, usually occupied by the strongest and biggest, we have a second year! Have the consecutive losses messed with the Ravenclaw__ heads? Are they really that desperate to appoint Uchiha beater? We'll find out in a moment as Madame Hooch is calling for the captains_."

The grey-haired witch motioned for Todd and the Hufflepuff captain to approach. She talked to them, mainly about expecting fairness.

Both captains of the opposing teams shook hands. „My beaters instructed me to say it's nothing personal and that they apologize in advance" Jamie said loud enough that it could be heard in the lower tiers of the stands.

The Hufflepuff team nodded with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, most of them agreeing with the commentator. Madame Hooch arched her eyebrow and asked the Captains if they were ready.

Saeko tuned out the commentary and concentrated on the game. She and Bishop had devised several new plans and plays they planned to implement during this match – to show the Ravens are not to be messed with.

The quaffle was thrown into the air and the show began.

The Puffs were quick to steal the quaffle and darted towards the Raven goalposts. The Uchiha smirked and aimed the bludger she chased towards her opponents, just a quick warm-up.

After getting the feel of the Hufflepuff play Saeko nodded at Jared, it was time for theirs. The duo captured both bludgers and begun passing the black balls between themselves, their speed augmenting to a frightening level – one of the enemy beaters tried to intercept but the force was too great. Finally the duo made a move and managed to trap Boyde, the opposing beater, between them. Boyde evaded once, twice, he tried to escape but it was all in vain and he got hit. The force knocked him from the broom and he came plummeting down, unconscious – Jared caught him and lowered him to the ground.

Saeko was sure the crowd must've reacted quite loudly at the Slytherin-worthy move but she was in her zone, her brow furrowed in utter concentration.

Jared returned back up and the duo begun completely dominating the field – with one beater down and one still shaken up from the previous incident there was not nearly enough opposition.

Saeko and Jared did not attack the players from there on, they were Ravens and their reputation and acceptance was riding on it. But still they did enough damage – they intercepted chaser plays every time a Puff held the quaffle. The duo always concentrated their might on one player, which meant both bludgers roughly at the same time, spooking the chaser to drop the red ball.

The blue-clad players took full advantage of the circumstances their beaters formed and the Hufflepuff keeper was getting desperate at the onslaught of goals he let through.

Finally the shinobi noticed the quick dive Frost effectuated, closely followed by the enemy seeker. The snitch had been spotted. „Jared!" she yelled at her partner who quickly oriented himself in the situation. Frost was good but just in case right? It was their job after all. Jared passed the bludger to Saeko and channeling chakra through the bat she did a mighty swing. The black ball whooshed through the air at great speed and flew a couple of feet before the yellow-clad seeker who had no choice but to deviate from his course.

„Frost caught the Snitch! The score is 310 to 70 if you can believe it! Ravenclaw WINS!" yelled the commentator, surprisingly managing to be impartial despite his House losing before his eyes.

The blue-bronze fans roared in joy along with the majority or Slytherins who enjoyed the show. The normally reserved and studious Ravens bursted into the field and laved their team with adoration. The first victory for the Witted in quite some time was most certainly cause for celebration. Even Flitwick could be spotted doing a surprisingly graceful victory dance in the professors' booth.

The Hufflepuffs were bummed out but they too begun to clap politely. Saeko's and Jamie's idea to warn them in advance mitigated the negative response, it was just a game after all. Some of the Gryffs took the game as stooping to Slytherin level but seeing there was no breaking of rules they got over it quickly and praised the Raven comeback.

XXX

Saeko woke up much later than usual but still in time for the first lesson. Looking around the room she spotted a still asleep Ashley, drooling onto her pillow.

"Wakey, wakey Ash!" the ninja nudged her friend who just groaned and turned to her other side, "Told ya even the Ravens know how to party. Wake up, you had only a drop to drink last night so you can't be hung over. Seriously wake up!" Ashley reluctantly sat up and rubbed her eyes. Saeko smiled at her disheveled appearance and gather her things to go for a shower.

The jounin let her still wet hair unbraided and quickly dressed in her school uniform. She descended into the Common Room looking for a friendly face to have breakfast with. What she did not expect were the sudden pats on her shoulder by housemates she never met before, shouts of 'good job Uchiha' and the like.

„You seem to be our newest celebrity Saeko" Helena smiled at her friend just as Geoffrey shook the Uchiha's hand.

„While I am used to it from back home the people are not so… clingy" the girl sighed.

The blonde smirked „I'll get better. You know, I heard a 7th year say you pulled the Raven quidditch team from lethargy and called Todd a visionary for letting you on the team."

Saeko snorted "I hope they learn to keep the distance a bit. They should praise Jamie more, she really whipped the team in shape. Well, not me, I was brilliant from the get-go naturally". The ninja smirked to indicate the joke but got an elbow in the gut nonetheless.

The scarred brunette laughed out loud and tried to spot her captain "Hey, Helena, I need a quick word with Jamie, wait for me a minute and we'll go to breakfast, 'kay?"

Helena nodded and the kunoichi made her way to the platinum blonde "Ohayo Jamie!"

The older raven turned and winked "Monin Saeko. How do you like your newfound fame?"

Saeko winked back and said cockily "Well-deserved obviously. No really, I hope it'll die down a bit, I hate fans."

"We are Ravens not Gryffs, my guess tomorrow you will be recognized, greeted but the hugs and the rest should stop, I hope" Todd whispered the last part.

The Uchiha laughed "You got hugs? That's priceless! But I hope you are right. We did well tough. So, when is our next practice?"

Jamie smirked evilly, already expecting the whines of her team "Soon, we have to keep winning now, right?"

"Hai taichou" Saeko smirked back.

XXX


	16. 2- 16 Being Famous

***Being Famous ***

"Good morning Uchiha."

"Morning Uchiha!"

"Hey Saeko."

Were some of the greetings the ninja received when she and Ashley came down from their dorm into the Common room. Saeko just waved to her fan's way and continued talking with her friend.

It had been a week already since the smashing victory and the whole House recognized her not only as an outstanding student but also their very own quidditch star. Helena laughed nearly to tears when a star-struck first-year of the name Roger Davies insisted he would carry Saeko's bag to class for her. The kunoichi glared at the poor kid until he awkwardly left.

Even the students of the other Houses looked at her differently. The kunoichi was quite amused by it but since her 'fans' were keeping their distance it wasn't much a difference from being one of the prodigies of Konoha. Naturally the positive reactions weren't the only ones, especially from the Slytherins and Gryffindors. The Uchiha took it in stride now that the things have calmed down, but her friends liked to tease her about it.

Saeko and her friend were going to their first class of the day when Ashley noticed a subtle change "Hey, is it me or the Gryffindor girls are glaring at us?"

"Not us, Saeko did you do something?" Helena observed.

The scarred brunette looked more closely at the group of girls they just passed "Not that I know of. Maybe the Weasleys pranked them and blamed me? I don't really know."

The answer hadn't revealed itself until lunch when the known gossip Michelle cornered them just outside the Great Hall "Have you heard! You are so lucky Uchiha, he's soo cute!"

"Whoah, what are you talking about?" the kunoichi said perplexed. Helena and Ashley nodded, both curious.

"Leon White!" Michelle said with wide exes and grin "He has the hots for you!"

Saeko bursted in laughter. Ashley asked "Gryffindor's pretty boy? How do you know that?"

"He said that in their Common room" the black girl answered.

"That's not really accurate" Caitlin butted in, having heard them talking, "He actually said you two should get together because, and I quote, you are hot and he is hot so it makes sense."

"Wow, what a compliment" Helena said sarcastically.

Caitlin shrugged "Well he got a bit more romantic afterwards. He actually said you were smart, hot, athletic, a quidditch star and all in all perfect just like him so you belong together."

The ninja rolled her eyes and said sarcastically "It really sounds like destiny then."

Michelle's eyes lit up at the new information "So you are not interested?"

The jounin smirked but said nothing. Ashley shrugged "It's not like Saeko or any of us even met him". The girls nodded their assent. Michelle looked thoughtful but then she smiled and left, presumably to spread the rumor. The other ravens laughed at the development.

Saeko just rolled her eyes again "And this will not be mentioned."

"This is gonna be fun!" the Irish girl stage whispered.

XXX

Saeko was lounging in her room reading an obscure tome about legilimency, absolutely thrilled by the art. It was similar to the Yamanaka techniques with a pinch of sharingan abilities in the mix. She put aside all her other studies, except her regular workouts to master the subject. She couldn't wait for the Christmas break to try in on some unsuspecting enemy ninja.

There was a knock on her door and the Uchiha groaned. She sealed the book in a hurry since it was purchased in Knockturn alley and the subject was labeled dark by the Ministry. When everything was in order she used a spell to unlock the door and called "Come in!"

Helena entered smirking. The scarred brunette frowned "This better be good."

"Oh, it is. But I guess it depends on the point of view" the blonde trailed out.

"What is it?" said the impatient kunoichi.

The British girl was clearly enjoying it "I came to warn you that Michelle and her crew, along with some upper-years she is friend with are trying their hand at match-making. And you guessed right, the lucky victim is you."

The Uchiha groaned and hid her face in her palms "Why me? Can't they help Geoffrey with that cute Hufflepuff girl he is pining for?"

Helena could contain herself no longer and laughed out loud. When she calmed down she said "Tough luck. Well, try not to kill or maim anybody hm? And White is a show-off but he's quite handsome…"

"Sooo not my type" Saeko smirked, "If he tries to ask me out he will crash rather unceremoniously."

The blonde looked intrigued but not questioned her friend "He talked to you yesterday right? He didn't ask?"

"Nope" the raven-haired girl said with certain satisfaction, "He introduced himself and talked about Quidditch. At least he stopped following me around."

The tall blonde frowned a bit "You know, if you really aren't interested you should just tell him. Stringing Leon along is not fair to him."

Saeko sighed "All I hear are rumors and speculations, if he wants to ask me out he will and I will turn him down. He should man up and be the Gryffindor he is. I don't like conducting business over the grapevine."

"This is hardly business but I get your point. I just wanted you to be warned" Helena nodded, "I shall leave you to… whatever you were doing."

"Meditating, and thanks, it is really appreciated" the jounin smiled at her friend.

XXX

**Greenhouse n. 3**

The Ravenclaw students stood outside a greenhouse they never entered before, one that contained more dangerous plants. When professor Sprout told them they would be coming here and work with mandrakes they were all excited, well all except Helena of course.

The Snakes slowly trickled down to join them. Lauren walked with her friends, her face covered in the usual Slytherin mask but her eyes shone with excitement. Saeko grinned at the restraint.

"All here? Then come on in" the corpulent teacher opened the glass door. The students obliged and paired up before the potted plants.

Saeko smiled at the redhead she worked with and the lesson begun. As time went on the House of the Ambitious earned a record amount of points thanks to the red-head at the Uchiha's left.

The second part of the double lesson was dedicated to practical work. Saeko decided to be chivalrous and traded her black earmuffs for the pink ones Lauren was stuck with - they had to be careful during the repotting since the Mandarke's cries could be very dangerous.

Finally professor Sprout indicated the end of the lesson since they could not hear the bell ring. She took a tour to see if everything was alright and then she took off her own earmuffs.

"Thank Kami" the ninja whispered and took off the pink monstrosity.

Lauren smirked "Thanks for the trade."

"Well, I could not in good conscience leave you with those, pink clashes with your crimson hair terribly" Saeko smiled.

The red-heard laughed and collected her things. Suddenly she put a hand to her hear and mock gasped "Oh, my! I just realized that the great Uchiha, beater extraordinaire, gave me her earmuffs! I shall never wash my ears ever again!"

The jounin let out a laugh and took Lauren's hand and put a fleeting kiss on the knuckles "It was my pleasure my lady."

Lauren laughed as well "So I hear a certain seeker with the most ridiculous name is declaring his love to you everywhere he goes."

"Oh really? He said nothing to me, he's kinda stalkery though. But hey, all the stars have groupies" the ninja joked. Her green-tied friend smiled and shook her head. Suddenly Saeko had a thought "Hey, is my awesome talent the reason you were so point-grabbing today?"

"Well, your team did earn too many points for my Houses' taste. But no, I just recently read up about the Restorative Mandrake Drought so I was even more brilliant than usual" the red-head explained. Saeko remembered her ambition to become a healer and nodded.

It was lunch time so the duo made their way to the Castle, Lauren still poking fun at the kunoichi and her suitor despite Saeko being adamant about her disinterest.

XXX

Saeko changed into her work-out clothes - she had procured new ones, wandering around in her uniform as last year had gotten her too much attention. Her new outfit was not as practical or comfy as the standard Konoha attire but it matched her dramatic personality perfectly. Dressed all in deep crimson – tight trousers, high boots, gloves and a clingy turtleneck with the Uchiha emblem she walked towards the Castle's gate.

Waving off the hellos of a group of older Ravens, rolling her eyes as one of the boys checked her out quite thoroughly, she broke into a light jog. "Hey Uchiha!" she heard a familiar voice.

The kunoichi sighed but turned around "Leon-san, hello."

The Gryffindor seeker smiled and had the presence of mind of not imitating the Raven from earlier "Hello, going for a run?"

"Gotta keep in shape right? Two more teams to crush to win the Cup" Saeko grinned.

"You wish! You can beat the Snakes but my team – no way!" Leon replied lightly, "We can't have the Ravenclaws hog everything, you already head the academics."

The Uchiha smirked, proud of her House "That we do but it's high time we won the House Cup for our efforts."

"Better you then the Snakes but I feel this will be our year. And hey, you already are the number one in your year" the Gryff flattered her.

"We are on top every year. And yes, that was boasting" the girl smiled cheekily, "Pity though our match is in May, I very much look forward to it."

"As am I. It really is a pleasure to play against a worthy rival" Leon said charmingly.

"Indeed. Sorry to cut this short but I have only an hour free and I really want to go for my run. Did you need something in particular?" the scarred kunoichi asked.

The handsome seeker shuffled his feet "Eh, no, not really. But it is always a pleasure to speak with you."

"Thank you Leon-san. Very nice to talk to ya. See ya around" the jounin waved and resumed her run.

Leon waved back with a smile. As Saeko run around her corned she rolled her eyes and whispered to herself "Wuss."

Making her way outside the jounin made several laps around the lake in ninja speed, the physical exertion winning against the cold of approaching winter. Itching to train with her blade she ran into the Forbidden Forest and went through her usual summoning ritual.

Greeting her feathery friends she unsealed her tantō and went through some katas for the short blade. As always the repetitive movements calmed her so when she finished Saeko decided to meditate. The girl was immersed in the chakra flow, feeling its course through her body when a deep voice interrupted her concentration "Hello little sister."

Saeko smiled "Hello. I was not expecting you dear brother."

"The crows told me you were here. With your ravens' permission, of course" Itachi smiled and sat down beside his sister.

The younger Uchiha hummed and closed her eyes once more. After few beats of silence the kunoichi asked "Any news from Konoha?"

"Actually yes and several might interest you. Jiraiya-sama took Naruto-san alongside him for one of his spy network errands. During the trip he taught Uzumaki the Rasengan which he learnt in record time I'm told" Itachi informed.

Saeko smiled a bit sadly "That is quite an accomplishment. But then again I always knew he had it in him. Though I'm slightly disappointed, rasengan and toads? That sounds very much like Yondaime 2.0, which I get but I always thought he would make him own path."

"It's not the Hiraishin and he just started his tenure as chuunin, he will find his own style. After all he is quite a unique individual" Itachi said with a barely there smirk.

"Indeed," Saeko nodded, "Anything else? What about you or the Clan?"

"Orochimaru is moving again, it appears he survived our encounter during the Sand/Sound Invasion. The Hokage made me the first responder since I am the best match against him" said the young man.

The kunoichi nodded "Meaning when Jiraiya or other get a whiff of the Snake you and your squad go?"

Itachi nodded "Yes. Orochimaru does have an unhealthy obsession with learning jutsu so our eyes were always in danger – at least we get to be closely informed."

"Hm. Just be careful brother, he is Konoha's most infamous missing-nin. Though, I think not even him can defeat a well-placed Tsukuyomi" the scarred jounin mused.

"True. Aside from this nothing new" the Uchiha Lord concluded.

Saeko frowned "Come on! What about some gossip?"

"I don't participate in such a practice as you well know" was the man's reply.

"I know," Saeko sighed, "You are no fun. You could get Anko to write me a letter though, I bet she can get me updated."

"I'll ask" Itachi acquiesced.

The kunoichi smiled sweetly "Love you brother."

XXX

"God, I'm starving!" Ashley breathed out as the bell rung, signalizing the end of the Charms lesson they shared with the Gryffindors.

Saeko quickly sealed her supplies and nodded emphatically "Me too."

The girls made their way to the Great Hall with unusual haste, quite hungry from the lesson. Professor Flitwick had announced a revision of the Arresto Momentum charm – the slowing or stopping charm. That in itself wouldn't be unusual but the diminutive teacher had them to run one at a time through the classroom while his partner used the spell. Saeko thought it was smart and useful to practice this particular charm on moving targets while most of the other students moaned at the slight physical activity. It was also a good way to evaluate who can actually do the spell so the House of Ravens gained quite a few points.

Sitting down at their table Ashley began shoveling food onto her plate with a slightly manic grin while Helena did the same but at a much more sedate pace. Taking a large bite of her Shepherd's pie the blonde pointed at Saeko's plate in puzzlement. The kunoichi just smiled and a moment later a bowl of white rice appeared among other definitely not British dishes.

The Uchiha's grin threatened to split her face. Taking the chopsticks that appeared near her lunch she took a bite of what appeared to be fish and moaned in deep satisfaction.

Ashley hearing the nearly obscene sound looked up from her plate. Fortunately she had already swallowed otherwise she would be in dire need of the Heimlich maneuver. "What the hell Saeko!"

The girl in question finished her miso soup and smacked her lips "Whatever do you mean my dear?"

Helena rolled her eyes "Oh stop it, you know very well. How did you manage that?" The Uchiha just smiled mysteriously when the blonde had another thought "Does dessert appear too?"

Saeko had to laugh, knowing her friend had a bit of a sweet tooth "Nope. I just have my Japanese style lunch. And, Kami knows I am soo grateful, also dinner and breakfast."

The two witches sat with confused frowns, expecting their friend to elaborate on how she 'escaped the evil clutches of English food' as the ninja had often put it. Saeko sighed "Let's just say I made a friend in the kitchens. He listened to my reasons and agreed that I indeed need a healthier diet with my job and quidditch. And no, I can't tell you where the kitchens are or anything else, it was part of the deal."

Ashley had her eyes narrowed but eventually just shrugged, content with the cuisine Hogwarts usually served. Helena looked a bit wistfully, clearly picturing cakes, premium teas and the like appearing out of thin air, "Lucky bastard" was her conclusion.

The scarred jounin was glad her specialized meal had not brought on jealousy on her friend's part and happily continued devouring her meal with obvious satisfaction.

Happily full the trio exited the Great Hall and decided to lounge in their Common Room before they had to go to History. They were halfway the corridor when Leon White and his friends greeted them. The handsome seeker immediately started a conversation with the girls, quite obviously focusing on the ninja.

Both Ashley and Helena, along with the seeker's friends were hiding small smiles as Leon tried to charm the Uchiha prodigy.

Finally the tallest Gryffindor snorted in amusement and Leon shot him a glare. Clearing his throat the seeker asked Saeko to speak to her in private and upon her nod he led her to the nearby corner.

The small group of friends were not the only ones to watch White finally making a move – the corridor was far from empty and the rumor mill about the two quidditch players was abuzz for quite some time.

"Is he finally gonna ask her?", "About time", "They would look good together", "I really don't see what he sees in her" were some of the whispered reaction in the audience.

The students continued to look on with some amusement as Gryffindor boy finished his long monologue and Saeko started to reply.

Finally Leon shrieked „GAY?!"

Everybody got silent. Then a Slytherin prefect laughed out-loud "Man, I'm so glad I stuck around to see this!"

Some more murmurs broke out but most of the spectators, now thoroughly enjoying the show, looked on, waiting for more.

The ninja who was leaning on the wall chuckled „As a bag of skittles. My apologies but I have to decline your offer". Saeko bowed slightly and left the flabbergasted boy behind.

„gay?" Leon said quietly again in disbelief.

As Saeko collected her friends more murmurs and some chuckles at White's unfortunate fate broke out. The crowd parted like the Red sea and the trio could walk out of the corridor without much trouble, not counting several disgusted looks. Despite the negative reactions it looked like the majority of the student body had no problem with her preference.

Two flights of stairs later Helena spoke up "Well, you did say he was 'soo not your type'. Now I see what you meant."

The Uchiha smiled at her blonde friend, taking it as acceptance and she turned to face Ashley. The short brunette rolled her eyes and said teasingly "Just don't get grabby and we are cool. Hey, does this mean I can have Leon?"

At her friends' reaction she said defensively "What? He's cute!"


	17. 2- 17 Toaster Tales

***Toaster Tales***

Saeko jogged down the stairs into the Common room in her work-out gear. Looking around she spotted her target. "You ready Jared?" she asked the handsome 4th year.

The black boy sighed in mock resignation and stood up from the comfy chair. The beater duo repeated this routine every time they went to run and train – at the beginning Jared was horrified by the level of work her partner was making him do and the sigh was real - after a while he accepted it and even enjoyed it.

Jared and Saeko walked through the Castle in a moderate pace, enjoying the quiet the early morning provided them. As they stood before the open gates the boy shivered "Bloody winter!"

"I agree, I especially hate the dark" the kunoichi said between her stretches. Finishing their warm-up the Ravens broke into a jog, beginning their usual rounds.

It was almost light when the duo finished their sit-ups and push-ups, completing their routine. Slowly walking back Jared finally breached the topic he was itching to talk about "Word goes around about your interaction with White the other day."

Saeko hummed noncommittally so the black boy continued "I'm cool with it, so just you know. The rest of the team will too, don't worry."

"If I was worried about it I wouldn't have said anything in the first place, but thank you" the girl smiled.

Jared smiled as well but said in a worried tone "James is going to be a bit dicky about it though and Wayne and Rory will joke about it like there is no tomorrow."

"I know" the Uchiha said disinterestedly.

"Hey, I was wondering how do you..." the beater begun but was promptly interrupted by the amused brunette "I hope you weren't going to ask about details, right?"

The 4th year cleared his throat in mild embarrassment "No, no, of course not!"

Saeko chuckled, already used to this line of questioning – well, girls tend to ask, guys usually spaced out and some began drooling. Ashley was particularly curious, she even woke Saeko up to answer more questions. "Hey, while we are remotely on the topic, you have a girlfriend? Or boyfriend?" the ninja asked, winking at the last part.

Jared spluttered and stopped walking. The scarred girl had to laugh out loud at the face her partner made. When the older student composed himself again he cleared his throat "Ok, first: I like the ladies as well. Second: no comment!"

"So you do! Come on, share! She a housemate? A Puff, Griff?" Saeko asked, clearly enjoying how the tables have turned.

"Not telling" Jared said resolutely. Saeko just walked alongside her friend, shooting puppy dog eye glances his way. He older raven crumbled "Ok, I like a girl and we are talking, that's it."

Saeko nodded knowingly "Ahh, I get it. So, do you need a wingman to tell her how awesome you are?"

Bishop rolled his eyes "No way! Chances are you'd get her instead of me."

"She cute? I may try making that true. Just kidding!" the Uchiha said hastily in response to her fellow beater's murderous glare.

"And that's why I'm not telling" Jared crossed his arms.

"Aw, don't be like that!" Saeko smirked as they entered the Castle.

XXX

**Charms Corridor**

"Good morning Uchiha" Lauren greeted her herbology partner.

Saeko took her eyes off the small pile of books in her arms "Oh, hey! Good morning to you too. Heading to the library?"

The red-head nodded "Indeed. I need to do some potions research. You?"

"Oh, those? They are professor Flitwick's books – he lent them to me. He really is a great Head of House, he indulges his Ravens" the ninja smiled.

Lauren looked curious "So this is bonus work? Care to share?"

"Mainly ice-spells, manipulation of elements, weather spells. Just theories, not even Flitwick would give directions to a second-year. Pity" Saeko sighed.

The Slytherin girl laughed "And here I thought the legends about Ravenclaw nerdiness were exaggerated."

"Well, it is my belief that the Sorting Hat extrapolates the dominant trait between the four – ambition, loyalty, curiosity and great moral fiber. Subsequently the House cultivates their perceived strength thus reinforcing the stereotype" mused Saeko.

"Wow Uchiha. You really are the icon for Ravenclaw" the Brit shook her head. At Saeko's confused but definitely pleased face she continued "Well, you are the most visible Raven right now – top student, quidditch player and now featuring in many male fantasies."

"Only male?" the kunoichi winked.

Lauren chuckled "That, I have no idea. Maybe when you are not thirteen."

"That was cruel," Saeko pouted "I'm perfect, so just you know. By the way do you know why the House animals are what they are?"

The green-tied girl shrugged "I just think they are the crests of the four founders."

Saeko face-palmed "Yeah, that makes sense. I was over thinking it like an idiot. You know – the lion is the symbol for bravery and Gryffindor boasts about it so I somehow thought they reflect the attributes."

"Hm. Well, I believe that the snake did help make a not so stellar reputation for Slytherin – all that original sin Christian rubbish. Before that the snake was a symbol for healing, did you know that?" Lauren asked.

"Asclepius, yes I know. It suits you" the ninja smiled.

"Of course, I forget you are both a pure-blood and a Raven. And what is with that? _Raven_claw and your symbol is and eagle" asked the herbology-enthusiast.

The brunette shrugged "Well, the owl was already taken as messenger. I really don't know, my theory was garbage anyways."

Lauren frowned "You know, it was noticed you get your sporadic mail by a raven. Many of my housemates commented about you taking your House allegiance too far."

"A crow, not a raven actually. They are my brother's messengers. We are just weird like that way" Saeko smirked.

"I won't argue with that," the red-head smiled, "Well, I really need to go to the library. Nice seeing you Uchiha."

The jounin smiled and waved "You too Lewis. Good luck with potions:"

"No need!"

XXX

**Library**

"Need help with runes again?"

Faith's head snapped up from her book. When she spotted the Uchiha she smirked "O? The current star of the Hogwarts rumor mill is talking to me?"

Saeko smirked as well "Finally someone who recognizes my awesomeness! What are you doing?"

"Reading?" the Hufflepuff quipped.

"Smartass" the ninja smiled and sat down at the table.

The lighter brunette chuckled "Curiously enough it is runes I'm reading but I'm almost finished. No books for you today?"

The ninja yawned "No, at least not yet. But you know us Ravens, we can't stay away from the library for too long."

"Even the jocks?" Faith teased.

Saeko was confused "I beg your pardon?"

The Hufflepuff sighed "You must be a pureblood. I meant it as a joke but jock is a term for the classic male athlete, more muscle than brains and so on. They are one of the typical cliques in high school, at least according to US shows."

"Oh! I get it. Well, not the male part since I am most definitely female, but I get the idea. You are a muggleborn then or do just enjoy the wonders of muggle technology?" the raven-haired asked.

Faith nodded resolutely "Yes, and quite proud of it". When Saeko merely smiled, proof of her not being a muggle-hater as many purebloods from Slytherin, the British girl continued with a grin "You should've seen Mum when she found out about magic. She's a journalist you see, they almost had to sedate her when they told her she could not reveal anything of it. I think she sulks still and I wouldn't be surprised if someone had to _obliviate _her already."

The jounin raised an eyebrow "You don't mind your family being influenced in such a way? I think I would be pissed, even thou I understand the necessity."

"Exactly – I understand the necessity. And I have read enough books and watched enough TV to know what would happen if something big like magic would be found out. Of course I don't want my mother to be the cause for war. Maybe if Dad was here he could calm her down" Faith concluded wistfully.

Saeko didn't know how to react to that statement but naturally she could not just pass it. Finally Faith saved her and answered the unspoken question "He was a soldier. He died in service."

"My condolences. If it helps my family is military as far as our records go" the Uchiha bowed her head slightly.

The light-brunette was surprised "Really? I guess Asian magical culture must be a bit different than this one. Britain does not have a magical army as far as I know."

Grinning to the private joke Saeko replied "It does not. Britain does only have Aurors and Hit Wizards – magical law enforcement. Even the last war was fought with merely battle experienced civilians."

"Interesting" Faith said lost in thought. "Does this mean you will follow tradition? Or you being here in Hogwarts changes things?"

The kunoichi straightened but said in a light tone "Following tradition. Can't very well leave my brother alone in it."

"You have a brother. Cool, I have a sister and she is a pain in the ass. She is younger than me. I'm quite curious if she is magical as well – she will be 11 soon so maybe she will receive the Hogwarts letter as well" Faith changed topic.

Saeko smiled "That would be nice I guess. But I like being here alone – this way I'm the only one prodigious Uchiha."

"I like your modesty by the way" the Hufflepuff shook her head with a chuckle. "I think I will be the only Brennan in here too. I never noticed my little sis doing anything weird, but I'm hoping."

"We'll see next year then. Well, I need to go. Nice flirting with ya!" Saeko smiled and stood up from her seat.

Faith arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side "So you were flirting with me."

"Guilty as charged, couldn't help myself with such a beauty" the ninja smiled.

"Smooth Uchiha"

"Oh, please call me Saeko"

"See, a typical jock line. You should watch some television" Faith winked. Saeko grinned and walked out of the library.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Tower, Dorms**

Ashley was stretched on her bed flipping through an old book, obviously not very interested in it. Finally she sighed "Do you really have to sit in this weird way?"

Saeko and Helena were both sitting on their heels, back straight, in front of a wooden desk pad, writing. The Uchiha never took her eyes from the ink characters she created on paper "It's the seiza pose."

"Traditionally used during tea ceremonies, flower arranging and calligraphy" Helena elaborated.

The scarred brunette smiled bitterly "True. But traditional families use it all the time. And I mean _all the time_!"

"Isn't it like really uncomfortable?" Ashley asked, mildly amused.

"Kami YES!" the kunoichi put the brush down, "But unfortunately traditional and polite back home. Nii-sama and I had to suffer through never-ending clan meetings stuck sitting like that. Finally I got used to it."

"Sounds awful" the youngest Brit empathized, "What about you Helena? It's not obligatory right?"

Helena sighed and put her brush down "No, but it's a tradition. I like traditions. Besides, Papa conducts some of his business during tea ceremonies you know. And my calligraphy teacher says it's actually the best pose for writing – you have control."

"Control"

"Yes"

"Of the brush" Ashley said skeptically.

"Yes" the blonde frowned.

"Uh, uh. Okay, whatever" was the reply. "So what are you writing?"

The tea connoisseur picked up her brush again "Poetry by Cai Xiang. I'm just learning so my teacher teaches me the characters from his works. I want to give the best one I manage to Saeko as a thank you."

"So you like your birthday present? I'm glad" the Uchiha prodigy smiled.

Ashley mock-scowled "So five brushes warrant giving a present in return but my awesome gift of poker chips doesn't?"

"Five exquisite brushes, different sizes, made from blue glass and wolf hair. So as you would say – hell yeah! And Saeko appreciates the gesture despite being far more skilled in the art. Your gift is great so I might let you win a few times the next time we play" Helena winked.

"How magnanimous of you. I can beat you on my own, thank you very much" Ashley scowled. Throwing her book to the side she sighed again "I really don't understand you - we just got through a hell of a week – Snape was on a roll. It's Friday evening and we are stuffed in our room and you are playing with brushes!"

"It's calligraphy. And it's very relaxing" Helena replied airily.

Saeko snorted "And what have you been expecting," she cleared her throat and put on a ridiculously high voice "Hey girrrls, it's Friday night. Let's go to a bar and get smashed! We could go dancing! Maybe meet some boys, have fun on our night out in town…"

"Har, har, very funny. We can have fun even here in the Castle" the short brunette rolled her eyes.

"This_ is_ fun" the pureblood commented.

Ashley put her arm over her eyes "My god, no wonder other houses see us as boring nerds."

XXX

**DADA Classroom, Hogwarts**

"Since september I have been teaching you about minor curses and some attack spells– mainly how to recognize them along with some counters. Next semester I plan to delve into dark creatures. Since Christmas is only two weeks away I decided to give a preview on the subject. Also I will be giving you homework for the holidays" Bangasé begun.

The class let out a collective groan. One of the Gryffindor boys muttered "I thought only Snape does that."

"Yes, homework" the petite lady smirked, "As you know the _mundanes_ have a lot of myths, some of those of course include magic," the teacher paused as her students snickered, "and many more involve some kind of creatures. Those creatures are often the cruel and terrifying antagonist but also benign beings that sought to help heroes on their path."

Silence reigned upon the classroom, most people interested in the topic at hand. The dark woman continued "Many of those creatures do indeed exist, only unseen by non-magical eye - a dragon would be the perfect example – we know about them, we can even distinguish several breeds but for the _mundanes_ they are merely a fable."

"I always wondered how many those myths are in fact based on truth. These stories are also present in magical stores and tales. Now to the homework part" Bangasé smiled as another groan reverberated through the students, "I want two scrolls of parchment about a mythological being – _mundane_ or magical. I encourage choosing a creature you've heard about as children. I want you to write the myth they figure in, a general characteristic, its powers, how do people perceive them and so on. Even a comparison between the _mundane_ perception and the magical one is acceptable.

Letting it soak in the teacher continued "When we meet again in the new year each of you will give the assignment to me as well as present your paper to the class."

There was veritable terror in the majority of the student's eyes. Bangasé smirked "Also it stands to reason each of you chooses a different creature. In those two weeks please make your selection and tell me. Feel free to ask for advice, be it your parents or older housemates. Choose a topic you think will be interesting."

"Now for the rest of the lesson I will briefly speak about the different mythologies around the world to facilitate your decision. Also please be sure about your topic when you approach me, I will not be changing it once it is made. Now if there are any more questions ask them at the end of class". Hands went down. "Good, I will start with the mythology of my own continent…"

When the bell finally rang most of the second years were still deep in thought, clearly thinking about their new assignment. As the Ravenclaws made their way back to their tower Ashley was talking at light speed about several ideas she had for their homework. Finally Helena had enough "Geez! We get it, you can't decide! Ask someone else, maybe someone who knows about this stuff!"

The short brunette paused, not insulted in the slightest "That's actually a good idea! I'm going to write mom. And dad. And professor Ford. And maybe professor Peck would help me too… Thanks Helena! I gotta go!"

"What was that?" Saeko chuckled.

"Weird" the blonde shook her head in disbelief.

The Uchiha smiled "That was kind of adorable. Hey, any ideas on what are you going to choose?"

"No. This is more Ashley's area of expertise. I think I will be going to the library after dinner. You?" asked the Brit.

Saeko nodded "Yeah, I was thinking about the Tailed Demons – from back home."

The taller girl sighed "Sounds good. I'm pretty sure no one will be stealing that from you. Library for me it is then. I'm not as excited as dirt-digger there but I have to admit this topic is pretty interesting."

"True. We'll see how fun the presentations will be" the jounin agreed.

Helena took a little notebook from one of her pockets and opened it "I bet 2 sickles that at least two students will be useless from stage-fright. Another sickle if one of those is my darling roommate."

Saeko chuckled "You have a problem, you know that."

"Is that a no bet?"

XXX


	18. 2- 18 Electric Christmas

***Electric Christmas***

Saeko promptly entered the Hokage's office, when one is called before 'the boss' by the ANBU one hurries. "Hokage-sama?"

"Saeko-kun, good morning. I have called you for a mission, I will brief you when your team gets here" Sarutobi smiled and the girl settled in a relaxed but alert stance.

One moment later another ninja entered the office with haste - an Inuzuka chuunin with a big dog with sandy fur. After greeting the Hokage the two lower-ranked ninja exchanged a nod as the door opened one more time. The newcomer was a tall blonde with her hair in a ponytail, a Yamanaka without a doubt.

"Good morning everyone. I have a mission for you – an A rank. We have gotten word about a Konoha missing-nin in the Land of Tea. Rokushō Aoi stole the Raijin no Ken, Senju Tobirama's sword and escaped the village. He is now a jounin of Amegakure. Your mission is to retrieve the sword and deal with Aoi – capture and bring him to Konoha for interrogation or if not possible kill him and bring back the body" the elder summarized.

The three ninja snapped at attention and nodded. Sarutobi continued his briefing "We know for a fact Aoi stopped at Honey Clover Inn in River Country. From there he made his way to Tea. Jounin Uchiha is in charge and will be the one taking down Aoi. Chuunins Inuzuka and Yamanaka you are the support and tracking. Yuuko-kun once Aoi is apprehended commence the interrogation."

The blonde teenager nodded her assent. Sarutobi took off his hat and rubbed his forehead "Excellent. Now bring the Raijin no Ken back home."

"Hai!" the team said in unison and left the office.

Once out of the door Saeko turned to face her team "Do you have everything you need on you or do you need to make a stop at home?"

The Inuzuka nodded but the blonde shook her head "I don't taichō, I was called in the middle of training my niece."

Saeko nodded "Ok, so meet me at the gates in 30 minutes. Is that alright?"

"Hai" said both chuunins and disappeared in a shunshin.

The scarred kunoichi imitated them and appeared before the gates to the Uchiha Compound in a puff of smoke. Waving to the clansmen that stood guard she made her way to her brother's quarters to tell him about being out of the village for a while.

Ten minutes later she was at the gates talking with the chuunin guards which, to her big surprise, were not Izumo and Kotetsu but a very pretty kunoichi and a grumpy Hyuuga. Putting her best smile on she killed time by flirting with the girl which looked not much older than Saeko herself.

Finally her team assembled. Waving to them she filled the form for the guards and jogged to the two chuunins "Hey. If you are ready then we'll go. First things first though - I'm Uchiha Saeko, mainly ninjutsu and genjutsu specialist."

"Oh, we know" said the pretty Yamanaka. At Saeko's arched eyebrow she replied in a 'duh' voice "Konoha no Amaterasu. I'm Yamanaka Yuuko, interrogation and poisons."

"Inuzuka Touru and this big guy is Sunamaru; tracking and taijutsu" said the feral-looking chuunin.

Saeko nodded and went back to business "Touru, I imagine we have to pick the target's scent first?"

The dark haired tracker sighed "Yes. I could track the raiton chakra in the sword but I don't really know how it works so I don't think we could rely on that."

"Thought so. To the Land of Rivers then, we can track get his scent from there. Righty-ho then!" said the Uchiha and took off at a high speed. Her team was quick to match her pace. Saeko calculated that they should make it to their destination by early evening even with breaks.

As the ninja made their way to the inn the jounin subtly glanced at her team, happy that for once she received capable ninja close to her age. Touru had to be the oldest of them, she estimated seventeen, while Yuuko looked younger, probably Saeko's own age or slightly older.

XXX

**River Country**

"The Inn should be right ahead" Touru reported. It actually was one of the few sentences the team exchanged during their journey.

Saeko slowed down in response "We made a good time, perfect. Touru, Sunamaru please take care of what needs to be done to track the target and meet us for dinner. The barkeep is an associate of Konoha so he will help you to single out Aoi's scent."

The shinobi nodded and true to his words a building appeared behind a hill. Not bothering with a henge the team entered the inn. The two girls sat at a table half-hidden in a shadowy corner while the Inuzuka went to obey his captain's orders.

Yuuko ordered a light dinner as did the Uchiha. Saeko appreciated her teammate did remain professional and was still fully alert. They entertained themselves with small-talk but their focus was on the mission. Not long after their drinks arrived Touru and his canine companion were back "We're all set."

"Good work" the jounin smiled slightly and went back to her tea.

"What's next? Do we hire a boat to Tea or do we run?" the blonde asked.

Saeko smiled mysteriously "Neither."

The chuunin duo looked curious but knew better than to question their captain. With sparse conversation they finished their meal and paid. Leaving the inn the Uchiha was pleased to notice the sky was getting darker. The Leaf ninja casually strolled to the seashore that was not far from the inn.

It was almost dark when they reached the water. "Anyone around?" Saeko asked their tracker.

Touru shook his head. At his reassurance the black-eyed kunoichi bit her thumb whispered "Kuchiose no Jutsu."

Chakra pulsed and three large birds appeared in mid air before their summoner, "Saeko-sama" they exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Hello boys. Team, meet the triplets Første, Andre and Tredje" the girl introduced the ravens.

After greeting were exchanged the brunette smiled "Team, take your pick. These big fellas will help us to cross the water, right?"

"Sure thing!" said the siblings.

The chuunins shook out the surprise and each mounted a raven. "Looks like it's me and you Andre. Oh and boys, please fly gently – my team never flew before to my knowledge and we could use a couple of hours of sleep."

After consulting the map Saeko explained her summon where to go and the trio took flight. The jounin grinned at her team's discomfort and instructed them how to properly sit and not fall at the first flap of wings. When they were all settled the jounin made herself comfortable and proceeded to take a nap to recover from the run and the big summoning just now.

XXX

**Land of Tea**

The sun just begun to rise when Saeko woke up. Discreetly wiping the drool from Andre's feathers she looked around her and noticed she was the last to wake. Stretching her arms she asked "Report Andre."

"Nearly there, that bit just ahead is land" said the raven.

"Excellent! Great job guys. What about you?" the brunette asked her human companions.

Touru looked a bit green and had Sunamaru in a death grip said feebly "Swell."

The Yamanaka on the other hand looked hyper "Splendid, absolutely splendid! You are the best team-leader ever and have the coolest summons!"

Saeko had to laugh at Yuuko's enthusiasm, especially when she squealed in delight as Tredje accelerated slightly and did a cartwheel maneuver.

As the Land of Tea was nearing Saeko went back in mission-mode and watched her subordinates to do the same. When the triplets reached dry land Saeko instructed them to land in the nearby forest. The ravens landed carefully, aware of their inexperienced cargo so the Leaf nins could jump down.

Touru mumbled a quick 'thanks' and immediately sat down. Taking deep breaths he unsealed his water bottle and drunk deeply. Sunamaru barked softly as if he was thanking for the passage.

Yuuko was literally pouting and hugged Tredje in goodbye "Thank you so much, it was great!"

"Thank you Første, Andre, Tredje" Saeko smiled warmly at her summons and stroked their feathery backs. The ravens cawed and disappeared in a large puff of smoke.

"So what now my awesomest taichō?" the Yamanaka asked, struggling to focus on the mission after such excitement.

The scarred Uchiha went over to Touru and patted his back soothingly "Well, as soon as our tracker recovers he should lead us to the target, Right?"

The Inuzuka nodded and took another swig from his bottle "Hai taichō, just please give me a minute. I'm a firm believer people were made to stay firmly on the ground."

The blonde kunoichi rolled her eyes at the dramatic statement while Saeko unsealed her own water and a ration bar for breakfast.

Five minutes later the trio was ready to go and fully alert. Touru and Sunamaru had picked up a faint scent of the missing-nin and the Leaf ninja broke into a run to follow the trail. No one spoke as they tracked the Konoha nin turned thief.

It was nearing noon when Touru spoke up "He's been around here recently. He and three others, I would guess other Ame ninja."

"Good. If there are others you two take care of them, I'll take the traitor. Let's speed up" Saeko instructed. The order was obeyed without question and soon they were literally flying through the forest.

Not much later the Inuzuka held up his hand. At his gesture the team slowed down to a stop. "What is it?" the brunette asked, her senses straining to pick up any hostiles.

"Close now, but I sense two more presences near the target - one shinobi for sure and the other has a small chakra presence too but I'm not sure. Also two more a mile in that direction, both shinobi. The last person is running in that direction but he's definitely civilian" the Inuzuka reported.

"Let's proceed carefully. Aoi is our priority, neutralize the others but do not kill the civilians, bad for business. Keep an eye on the two shinobi in distance, I'll leave them to you" the jounin planned.

"Hai taichō" said Yuuko and drew a handful of senbons to emphasize.

Touru nodded but his nose was still in the air. Suddenly Sunamaru barked softly and the ninja turned to face his canine companion "I think you are right Sunamaru."

Saeko arched her eyebrow impatiently. Touru rubbed his neck sheepishly "Sorry taichō. We think the shinobi presence near the target is the Uzumaki boy."

"Smelling a fox?" Yuuko asked in joke but at the Uchiha's glare she looked down.

"We have an ally then, a better scenario than before. My orders stand though. Oh, and don't get killed" Saeko instructed and drew her tantō.

Mindful of potential traps and ambushes the team ran to their target. Soon he was in full view. The trio concealed themselves in the tree line to evaluate the situation.

The tall man with the Ame headband had to be their target. He was wielding the Raijin no Ken, easily recognizable as the blade was made purely from yellow lightening. It was said the sword could withstand even the most powerful jutsus. This rumor appeared to be true as Aoi parried something that had to be the fabled rasengan – courtesy of Naruto. It was indeed the Uzumaki who appeared to be protecting a teenager dressed in civilian clothes.

Saeko frowned "Touru, on my signal get the boy from the fight zone. Protect him until I get Naruto to take over as it appears to be his mission. Yuuko, create a diversion. If you actually hit him that'd be a huge bonus. Ready? GO!"

Yuuko immediately threw her senbon with deadly accuracy while Touru and Sunamaru raced to the civilian, Saeko not far behind them but with a different target in mind.

Aoi jumped back and brought the Raijin to block all the projectiles. The Inuzuka grabbed the boy by his clothes and got him to the opposite tree line. Sunamaru hunched protectively over their charge.

The Ame jounin eyed the newcomers with a deep frown, retreating so he had them all in sight. Naruto on the other hand asked loudly "What the hell? Saeko?"

Plotting how to get Aoi down quickly the Uchiha asked formally "Indeed. Chuunin Uzumaki, your mission?"

The Uzumaki straitened his jacket "My team and I are to protect Idate while he races to the shrine."

"Continue with your mission then. If it is a race time is of the essence then. Go!" Saeko said to her friend, her eyes never leaving Aoi.

Naruto looked like he wanted to argue but then quickly went to the newly identified Idate and grabbed a rope from the destroyed bridge. Aoi took out his umbrella to impede the runner and his protector.

Before the Ame nin could perform the customary Jouro Senbon Saeko fired a speedy Gōkakyū no Jutsu. Aoi was forced to abandon his technique and dodge the massive fireball.

Saeko immediately clashed her wind-powered tantō with the legendary sword. Aoi's muscles bulged to parry the blow as he looked at where the blades met, which meant he looked directly in the Uchiha's Sharingan eyes. The scarred kunoichi weaved a double-layered illusion to ensnare her opponent.

Even before the missing-nin attempted to dispel the genjutsu Saeko cut one of his arms off with a high-powered _diffindo_. As the man recoiled her tantō cut the sword-wielding arm. Quickly sealing her wand she snatched the Raijin from the heavily bleeding Aoi.

"Yuuko!" Saeko cried out as she backed off. The Yamanaka was quick and four poisoned senbon impaled the Ame shinobi.

"Touru, perimeter!" was the jounin's second order.

Sunamaru barked as his human interpreted "We're clear, the two shinobi are Uzumaki's team."

The Yamanaka was kneeling beside the downed enemy and was trying to stop the bleeding. The blonde reported without prompting "He'll live. I have him sedated, he's not a danger."

"Thank Kami, I went a little overboard" Saeko sighed in relief.

Touru literally barked in laughter "A little?"

The jounin looked uncomfortable "I'm not used to leaving people alive. Gotta love genjutsu though."

Saeko took a blank sealing scroll from her flak jacket and sealed the Raijin no Ken inside. Placing it back into the appropriate pocket she surveyed her own blade, noting a crack despite having it protected by wind chakra during the fight.

"He should be okay now but I'm no medic" the blonde chuunin reported.

"Thank you, excellent job. Touru, can you take him?" the captain asked. As the feral-looking ninja carefully put their prisoner over his shoulder Saeko looked in the direction Naruto went "We'll go to the shrine, there should be a healer there. As soon as it's safe commence the interrogation, just in case he doesn't last."

The team and Naruto's, which arrived during Aoi's treatment, ran to the shrine. Saeko asked Sakura if she had any medicine on her but the girl shook her head and said she used it up when Aoi first attacked them.

When they arrived at their destination the jounin said "Yuuko you have Aoi, Sakura, Sai go with her and guard the prisoner. Me and Touru will fetch Naruto and find you."

The Leaf ninja nodded and departed. Saeko turned to the Inuzuka "Can you find him?"

Touru snorted as if insulted "Naturally, he's that way with the boy from earlier. Which reminds me, I think I have seen the boy before."

"Me too" replied Saeko and unsealed he copy of the Bingo Book.

"You can't be serious" the shinobi said flatly.

The Uchiha merely hummed and quickly turned the pages. Finally she exclaimed "Here he is! Morino Idate, wanted in Konoha for theft, genin level. No other information."

"Huh?" Touru said, "Wait, Morino? As in Morino Ibiki?"

"Looks that way" Saeko hummed and summoned one of her messenger ravens. Quickly writing a message the bird took flight.

XXX

**A day later**

Naruto was annoying as usual, not content that Saeko 'stole his kill'. The girl just said 'mission' every time he brought that up.

The two teams occupied a large comfortable room in the Wasabi Compound, courtesy of Idate's boss while they waited for a boat from Konoha. Yuuko was immersed in the prisoner's mind, looking for useful information while she had Sakura monitor his life signs. The others took turn for guard duty. Saeko had Touru keep a discrete eye on Idate, despite the fact that the Hokage's message said to leave him alone.

Finally the boat arrived. Yuuko together with Sai and Sakura carefully took the unconscious prisoner on board. It came as a surprise that together with their ride came the best the Konoha T&I had to offer – Morino Ibiki. Seeing Idate and Ibiki interact the reason became clear.

As the mission was almost over Saeko and her original team begun to relax. Yuuko and Saeko spent quite a while gossiping – well more that Yuuko was updating Saeko on what she missed when she was in Scotland. Even Touru joined them as they discussed the possibility of a relationship between Sarutobi Asuma and Kurenai Yuuhi.

Quite a big portion of Saeko's time was taken by dodging Naruto's pleas for a spar despite the idea of fighting on a ship being incredibly stupid. One thing the jounin took great pleasure in was teasing the blond about his attire – he wore something like the standard Konoha uniform but instead of blue it was burnt orange, clashing terribly with the light green chuunin vest. The jinchuuriki's reaction was "It was a gift from Ero-sennin and it's awesome."

"It's better than your old jumpsuit, I grant you that" Saeko sighed and raised her hands defensively.

The journey to Konoha did not take long. Saeko had already formally transferred custody of Rokushō Aoi over to Ibiki so when the group reached the village gates she quickly filled up the paperwork and they went to report to the Hokage.

A-rank missions had priority so they waited just a little while. Leaving Naruto's team behind Saeko, Yuuko and the Inuzuka duo entered Sarutobi's office.

Saeko presented the scroll that held the Raijin no Ken and the custody papers. The elder thanked her with a smile "Excellent, well done. Now report please."

The Uchiha as the one in charge went over the mission - higher-rank missions required both the oral and written reports.

Sarutobi was quite pleased with the outcome of the mission and after handing their written report, Yuuko's being the thickest for obvious reasons, the group was dismissed. The trio went to collect their pay and Saeko had the addition of the bounty for Aoi. She offered a portion to Yuuko but she refused "You had him down by yourself."

The now dissolved team exited the Hokage Tower. Squinting in the sunlight Saeko spoke up "I'm gonna go celebrate a bit, who's game?"

"I'm starving but I promised my girlfriend I would come straight home" Touru smirked, apparently quite pleased with himself.

"Well, I'm in. I have a craving for dango and some booze. You okay with that taichō?" Yuuko nudged the jounin.

Saeko smiled "Perfect! And I'm not your captain anymore."

The Yamanaka flicked her hair behind her shoulder "I know but it suits you. How about we go change and meet in that dango shop near the smithy, you know which one?"

"It's a date" Saeko winked.

XXX


	19. 2- 19 Downtime

***Downtime***

The Uchiha slumped onto her bed "I can't believe I actually missed this place. If I didn't have to fight Guy just the other day I would be worried about getting mellow."

"Did you say something?" Ashley said from her own bed, her hand over her eyes.

"Nothing really. I just can't believe a journey by train can be so exhausting."

The lighter brunette propped herself on her elbow "You're aware you were napping the entire trip right?"

"Hey, I was tired. And I did work during the holidays you know. Fortunately only Snape and Bangasé gave us any homework" Saeko retorted.

Ashley had the decency to look a bit embarrassed "I did not think of that. And we are just lucky our House is so good with spellwork otherwise we would have much more work to do."

"Indeed, that would be troublesome" the black-haired jounin used the Nara catch phrase.

The two girls laid down in silence, both nearly falling asleep when a loud knock reverberated through their room. Saeko just groaned as Helena spoke up from behind the door "Are you two ready for supper?"

"Hell yeah!" Ashley nearly catapulted herself from her bed with a bright grin.

Saeko merely rolled on her other side and murmured "Count me out, I'm tired."

Helena entered the room "Did you not hear? Supper…"

"Yeah. As I stated before, thanks but no thanks. I still have stuff from home and my holidays were eventful" said the ninja not moving an inch from her bed.

The British duo just shrugged. The blonde finally said "If you are sure. See you tomorrow then. Good night."

When the two younger girls left the ninja groaned once more "I hate you Guy and mini-Guy… How can someone be so cheerful every morning?"

After a few minutes of doing nothing Saeko finally got up and changed into her sleeping-wear and ventured into the girls bathroom. Once back she settled under the covers and unsealed the book she received from Naruto as her belated birthday present – it was supposedly a great book since his sensei could not stop reading it.

Few minutes later she began giggling. "Kakashi is a genius and Naruto seriously needs _the talk_. I hope there is a yuri version of this as well…"

…

"Hmm Shizuku-chan, forget Ryuutaro, Misaki is the one for you. Hihihi"

XXX

**DADA Classroom**

The class was unusually nervous when Bangasé took the attendance. All the students had their homework before them stacked in a neat pile waiting for further instructions.

When the pygmy sorceress was finished she flashed her audience a smile "As you well know I gave you homework just before Christmas. I am pleased to see it before you. Mr Gifford, Mr Sands please collect them."

Graham and a boy from Gryffindor obediently stood up and complied. Bangasé smiled as the papers landed onto her desk "Excellent. I will be dedicating four lessons to the presentations so everybody will have a turn. And be advised, some interesting facts from them could find their way into the exam in June. Now, who wants to go first?"

Predictably Peter and Ashley shot their hands into the air before anyone could even move. Graham who was sitting close to Helena groaned and gave few copper coins to the blonde. Saeko rolled her eyes as peter made his way to the blackboard "You bet on that? You really do have a problem"

The blonde smirked and whispered back "Yup. We made a friendly wager yesterday on the train, Caitlin as well. You were asleep so I didn't include you."

"Mr Hill, what is your topic?" asked the diminutive teacher.

Peter smiled brightly and cleared his throat "The_ basilisk_."

"Very well. Please pay attention, class. You may begin" Bangasé said and sat down onto her seat.

Saeko found the lecture extremely interesting, reinforcing her resolve to take Care of Magical Creatures as her elective. The lesson progressed quickly – Peter was followed by the eager Ashley who pouted at the little time Bangasé allowed them to make the presentation, just enough to go over the basics and the myth that surrounds their chosen creature. In the end seven people made their way in front of the class, Saeko included. When the bell rang the students had notes on the _basilisk_, _norn_, _djinn_, _garuda_, _skylla_, _símurgh_ and the _bijuu_.

It was one of the best classes the Ravens have ever had during their short stay at Hogwarts so when they all made their way to the Ravenclaw tower they were abuzz. Peter and Ashley were especially loud, both of them disappointed they had to shorten their presentation.

Caitlin rolled her eyes at the historian duo's antics, she poked Saeko in the ribs and whispered "Why did we let them go first? They set the bar ridiculously high, I almost pity the Gryffs."

"You say it like we would be able to make them go later" the ninja sniggered.

"Right. By the way your myth was brilliant and one I never heard before" the Irish girl complimented.

The Uchiha smiled and nodded in thanks as the group arrived to the raven knocker. Ironically the answer to the riddle/password was _chimera_.

Since the second years had a free period before lunch the majority of them decided to review potions – they had a double feature in the afternoon. Saeko was content with sitting next to her friends drinking tea – she was quite lucky Snape focused on other students and never tried anything with the ninja. Getting bored she entertained herself with creating a small maelstrom in her cup, a minor suiton exercise. Now that she had her well-deserved after-mission rest she was eager for any kind of action.

"Saeko!" came a voice she hoped would be her salvation.

"Jamie-taichō, good to see you!" the kunoichi greeted and walked up to her quidditch captain, "Did you have a nice holiday?"

The platinum blonde smiled and nodded "I did, you? Listen, I know it's cold as hell outside but we are going to have practice anyways. Our match with Slytherin is in March but we can't slack. Our victory against the Puffs was no fluke and we need to show it."

"Don't worry, we will be ready. And as for the cold we have heating charms" Saeko smiled.

"I expect whining anyway," the older girl sighed, "But they already know it won't help then one bit."

Saeko chuckled "True. When is the practice then?"

"Tomorrow before dinner" was the reply.

"I'll be there"

XXX

**Ravenclaw Tower**

Ashley and Caitlin made their way to the sofas near the fireplace while laughing loudly. The duo sat down next to Saeko and Helena. The blonde looked up from the newspaper and arched her eyebrow "What's so funny?"

The Irish girl could not stop laughing so Ashley replied "The first-year Gryffindors pulled an awesome prank on Filch. It was those twins again. They are quite talented, the magic is quite complex for first years."

Saeko perked up "Yeah, I heard about it, but I haven't seen Filch yet."

"You have to! It's hilarious" Caitlin finally recovered.

Helena frowned and folded her paper "I didn't find it funny. Quite the opposite actually – Filch might not be pleasant but with him being a squib getting rid of those pranks means asking a professor to do it for him. Very mean I would say."

"Oh" Caitlin looked down, "I didn't know he was a squib. It would explain why Filch hates students this much."

The girls sat in an uncomfortable silence for a bit so Saeko smiled widely and spun the tale of one of Naruto's greatest pranking exploits. Then another and another. Soon the girls were roaring with laughter.

Ashley said as she wiped her eyes "Your friends from Konoha are a riot. Poor Shikamaru though."

"Are you kidding? He deserved it and it was an exquisite prank" the scarred brunette grinned.

Even Helena was amused "It was. I can see you miss them."

"Yeah, a bit. My brother thought so too, he actually sent me a picture we have taken all together some time ago" the ninja smiled.

"Really? I hadn't noticed a new photo in our room" Ashley remarked.

Saeko shrugged "I didn't have a frame for it."

"So, what are you waiting for? Go and get it!" Ashley chirped.

"The frame?" the raven-haired was confused.

Caitlin rolled her eyes "No you dummy, the photo. We are curious about them. You are usually so secretive."

The jounin looked around and saw her friend's eager faces, groaned but obediently stood up. Quickly fetching the photo she returned and gave it to Ashley.

"Strange clothing" Helena remarked and Caitlin nodded in agreement

The kunoichi hummed "For you maybe. Each culture is different – even British magicals and muggles dress differently. So, those are my friends. Coincidentally nearly all of them are heirs to their respective clans". After that she proceeded to name each figure in the picture with a small commentary.

"What was the blonde's name again?" Helena asked.

Saeko grinned almost lecherously "Yamanaka Ino. Why?"

"There goes the grin again, are you dating her or something?" the blonde probed. At her question both Ashley and Caitlin looked at the Uchiha, eager for juicy gossip.

"No, I am not" Saeko said with the same grin. The girls stayed silent, waiting for more info. The Uchiha prodigy was not above boasting "Well, she does have a very pretty cousin named Yuuko. That's all I'm saying on the topic."

As Saeko spaced out a bit the redhead narrowed her eyes "And there is that grin again."

_***Flashback***_

_Saeko was sitting in the dango restaurant, drinking tea and basking in the sunlight with her eyes closed. She just ordered another set of skewers of dango when a bright voice interrupted her sleepy state "Hey taichō, room for one more?"_

_The jounin opened her eyes and smiled at Yuuko "For you? Always."_

"_Thanks Saeko" said the blonde and sat down. She flagged down the waitress and asked for bocchan dango. "Relaxing after a mission?" the older girl asked._

"_Nope, relaxing before a mission actually" the scarred kunoichi replied, "You? I haven__'__t seen you from our little celebration of the Aoi mission."_

_The Yamanaka sighed "I got drafted to another mission, with my old genin team actually. It went well but alas no flying. I think no mission can top that one, I might just retire now."_

_Saeko laughed at the flattering joke "We can__'t have that, it looks like we will have to go on another mission together."_

"_Retirement is put off then. Another mission would be excellent!" the blonde grinned._

"_I'd like that. It's not often I get to work with a very capable ninja close to my age. It will have to wait though, I'm going on a long-term mission tomorrow" the Uchiha_ _said with slight disappointment, she really did like working with the blonde._

_Yuuko frowned "Oh, pity then. How long and what rank it is?"_

"_Six months. It__'s a solo A-rank" the jounin could not help but boast lightly._

_The blonde was impressed "Wow, that__'s quite something. Although it disrupts my plan a little bit". When Saeko arched her eyebrow the chuunin smirked "Well, I planned on asking you out. If you are leaving tomorrow how about dinner, tonight?"_

"_That_'_s quite forward of you. What makes you think I will say yes?" Saeko smiled._

_The Yamanaka smiled as well, now quite confident "Just a hunch. Normally I would wait but since you are leaving… Well, let's just say I work under Anko when I'm at T&I."_

_Saeko laughed "That explains a lot. Very well then, I accept."_

_***Flashback***_

"And what happened next?" Ashley asked eagerly.

The scarred jounin shook her head with a smile "This time I'm really not telling". Saeko stretched on the loveseat she was sitting on and closed her eyes, signalizing the end of the conversation.

"You are totally thinking about it now" Ashley commented.

"Hmm…"

_***Flashback***_

_It was quite late when Saeko and Yuuko walked towards the clan district. As they approached the crossroad the blonde stopped walking. She turned and smiled at her companion "Dinner was lovely as was the company. It is a real shame you have a mission to go to."_

_Saeko nodded, the evening had been really nice indeed._

"_You know, I can__'t really let you leave without a proper incentive to come back, A-ranks are difficult after all" Yuuko smirked and invaded the brunette's personal space._

_The kiss started slowly. It was Saeko__'s first kiss so she was grateful for the time to learn and explore the possibilities. With her eyes closed the Uchiha let herself enjoy the pleasurable sensation that only increased when Yuuko gently brushed her tongue over her lower lip. Instinctually Saeko's lips parted, welcoming the probing muscle. The kiss grew more heated, both girls unconsciously clinging to each other. Finally they separated._

_Saeko was left breathless. Yuuko was visibly pleased with herself._

_Before the older girl could make a comment Saeko went for another kiss, applying the knowledge she gained only moments prior. When they separated again she could not help but to smile smugly – after all the Uchiha were known to be fast learners._

_And they liked to have the last word._

_***Flashback***_

"… Nope" Saeko smirked.

XXX


	20. 2- 20 Between School and Fun

***Between School and Fun***

**Potions Classroom**

Both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students sat in an unnatural silence, barely moving – a hard-learned routine for potions lessons. The second years tensed even more when their teacher finally glided into the room and took his place before the blackboard.

"Open your books at page 43. Today we will be brewing the Wiggenweld potion" the man said in his customary near-whisper.

When the shuffling of pages subsided Snape continued "Wiggenweld is a healing potion with the power to awaken a person from a magically-induced sleep. Pair up so that I don't have to clean any _accidents_. It is not hard to make but it requires continuous stirring. Between the pairs you should have enough intelligence not to mess it up. You have two hours, begin now."

Saeko resealed her cauldron since she will be sharing Helena's, her usual potions partner. Meanwhile the blonde studied the brewing instructions in the book. "The ingredients are fairly common with the exception of unicorn horn powder and sloth brain mucus" the Brit said with a disgusted grimace.

"I'll go get them. Anything else?" asked the ninja.

"A slice of boiled mandrake, we have the rest" Helena replied while studying the book closely.

The Uchiha nodded and went to the ingredients room. The small storage room was in one word creepy – Saeko had always the feeling of entering an Orochimaru's lab, she always pictured it like this – dark and full of unidentifiable things floating in various liquids. Quickly fetching the needed ingredients, it had been necessary to gently shove Michelle aside – the girl always spent too much time to get the_ best_ ingredient for her potion, Saeko returned to her seat.

Helena had already poured the horklump juice basis of the potion in the cauldron, slowly heating it while carefully measuring flobberworm mucus. The scarred girl put her load on the table and took the wooden ladle that was prescribed by the book. As the second ingredient was added Saeko began stirring the liquid in gentle clockwise motions.

When the chime rung to signalize the first hour of the potions double feature has passed the girl's potion was a pale purple – the ideal half-way state. Since it was Helena's turn to stir their concoction the kunoichi subtly glanced around the room to gauge their progress. There had been no explosions so she counted it as a success.

Saeko cast the tempus spell to ascertain whether it was time to add another component. Counting few more minutes she carefully added 20 drops of honeywater that caused the potion to darken.

"Hey, could you stir for awhile? My hand is going numb" Helena whispered to her partner.

The kunoichi shrugged "Sure"

"You idiot!" Snape shouted, "Fresh mint is needed! You always add fresh ingredients if not stated otherwise! What a bunch of dunderheads!"

The unfortunate Hufflepuffs who messed up were cowering before the potion master's glare. Saeko could see another pair quickly shove their mint leaves in their bags and look for a replacement.

Snape waved his wand over the vivid blue potion which was bubbling dangerously "Evanesco!"

The potion vanished and the two students were left with an empty cauldron. The professor glared at them one more time "Thirty points from Hufflepuff and you both get D for this ghastly performance. Now get out!" The confused students slowly gathered their things and with one more look at the teacher the defeated duo left the classroom.

"Well, that was exciting" Saeko said sotto-voce. Helena merely nodded and hastened to add boom berry juice to the potion which began to shimmer.

The class progressed without anymore incidents and when the bell finally rang the majority of the class had their potion ready. Snape looked over his students "Take a vial of your work, label it and put it on my desk. Mr. Milton, Ms. Bright, you two don't bother. Your potion is clearly of poor quality."

"Ouch" Saeko murmured as she labeled her vial full of the green potion. Quickly putting it on the desk she and her friends fled the classroom before Snape could knock off points for breathing loudly or something of the sort.

When all the Ravens were outside the room they all collectively exhaled in relief. Graham summed it up "That went well."

"True. At least our points are safe till next week" said Peter and the group took off.

XXX

Saeko was leaning on the wall opposite a classroom on the fourth floor waiting for the bell to ring. When it finally did the students trickled outside, most of them chatting. When the ninja spotted the person she was waiting for she called out "Faith!"

The busty brunette turned and Saeko lightly jogged by her side "You got a minute?"

"Sure. I need to go to the library, would you care to accompany me?" Faith smiled.

"It would be my honor" the Raven smirked, "It would seem we are forever destined to meet in the library."

"And you wanted to break that horrible circle by waiting for me after Runes? Looks like I thwarted your vile plan" the older girl laughed.

The Uchiha pouted "You are a cruel witch."

The duo proceeded to walk towards their destination while talking about their holidays – or at least the parts that were not mission related, and presents. When the conversation turned towards the approaching Quidditch season the discussion turned more heated. Saeko had no idea her friend was such an avid fan based on her non-reaction about her House's defeat by Raven hands and voiced the thought.

Faith shrugged "It was a good match, I won't begrudge your victory. But this time we will not lose, the Gryffs are going down!"

"You are a vicious lot, no matter what anyone says" Saeko could not help but grin, "But I will be rooting for you as well."

"Of course you will - it's more convenient for the Ravens."

"Or maybe I just like their style" Saeko countered.

Faith smirked "Ya, me too. They remind me of my favorite team actually"

"Which is?" the raven-haired girl asked.

„Falmouth Falcons. But I'm also partial to the Holyhead Harpies – go girl power!"

Saeko had to laugh „Sounds about right. I like the Toyohashi Tengu"

The Hufflepuff immediately perked up which led to another heated discussion about foreign teams and their merits – something Saeko looked up first thing to blend in better but afterwards she just became interested.

When the bell rang both girls realized they spent an entire hour talking. "Oh, shite! I was supposed to be working" Faith exclaimed.

"Wow, now I'm officially more interesting then books" the ninja smirked.

Faith shot her a playful glare "Sure, keep telling yourself that. Hell, I have Potions now."

The Uchiha shuddered "Good luck with that. I gotta go too actually – Flitwick promised me a book. See ya around?"

"Maybe I'll find you here, in the library again" Faith smirked at the last part.

"Well, I am a Ravenclaw" the Uchiha trailed out with a smile, "Hey, how about I sit with you during your match against the Gryffs? As I stated earlier I would be rooting for the Badgers. How about it?"

Faith regarded the kunoichi with a long appraising look "I guess it wouldn't be a problem."

"Great. I'll find you. See ya!" Saeko grinned and rushed to her appointment.

XXX

**Female Quidditch Locker Room**

"I don't envy the Gryffs and Puffs if this weather holds up" Saeko commented as she took off her soaked quidditch uniform.

Jamie took a towel from her locker "Me too, I hate wearing goggles. But if by any chance it will be us who has to fly in the rain we will be ok. Our flying today was great."

The Uchiha smiled "Thank you taichō!"

"That means captain, right? I like it, it makes me sound cool" the blonde chuckled.

"Well, you are _THE _captain who got us a very long awaited victory on the Quidditch pitch" Saeko winked. Jamie rolled her eyes but also smiled. The Konoha nin continued "That's actually big you know – we basically have the same people on the team but last year it was hopeless."

Jamie frowned slightly "Yeah, it was. Sykes was not a good pick for captain. She was a good seeker but she didn't hold the candle to Frost - he's really good. I'd like to think I made the team more of a team. You know what I mean – more cohesive, more cooperative. Oh and Jennifer was always brooding, never knew why but I confess I didn't really care, she was depressing." The platinum blonde took a clean shirt from her locker and sighed "As for beaters… Jared was new – like wet behind his ears new and Walker was too preoccupied with his studies. He wasn't bad but I always got the feeling he joined the team just to look better before his girlfriend. I guess it worked since I heard they are getting married."

"Good for him then. But it would explain why he held onto the team even during his last year. I heard most Ravenclaw quidditch players quit the team for their NEWTs" Saeko mused.

The older girl nodded "Yes. If you are not shooting for pro then it makes sense to study instead – in Ravenclaw at least."

"How about you?" the raven-haired teen asked.

"Am I going for pro? No way. I like Quidditch but it's more of a hobby. I would like to work in magical law. I'm studying it in my spare time. My gran was a lawyer and she had the best stories. I became interested and now I really think it's what I want to do. It's quite fascinating" Jamie said with deep passion that was typical for the blue-bronze House.

Saeko was impressed "I would never have guessed. But it's great you have such a clear idea of what you want to do." Suddenly the brunette chuckled "Hey, is there a subject in Hogwarts that would actually be useful for a lawyer? I would say History if it wasn't for Binns, but otherwise I don't know."

The fifth year grimaced "Yeah, actual History would be nice. But you are right. Hogwarts does provide basic magical education but for most jobs you have to learn on your own or have an apprenticeship. I'm lucky that my da's best friend is a partner in a law firm. He sends me books and promised me a spot if I'm still interested when I finish school."

"That's great!" Saeko smiled, glad her future was already sorted.

"Yeah," Jamie said a bit dejectedly, "Only the last book he sent me was _'Pureblood Ethics and Manners'_. It's a huge tome and soo boring. I'm a pureblood but our family never used that stuff. Thank the gods for that."

Saeko nodded "I feel ya. As the Uchiha heirs my brother and I were drilled in politics and all the works. It's useful but I hated it also."

The girls finished dressing in silence, both deep in thought after the conversation. When both were ready the scarred kunoichi smiled "Shall we brave the rain?"

"I'm really glad Wayne leant us this umbrella. He said he charmed it himself so let's give it a try" Jamie looked suspiciously at the object in her hand.

"Lets"

XXX

**Ravenclaw Tower**

Saeko and her friends were sitting near the fireplace, reading. The ninja was immersed in a book she took from the Uchiha library.

"Hey Saeko, you busy?" a deep voice asked. "Ashley, Helena. How you doing?"

Helena waved, her eyes never leaving her own book. Ashley blushed slightly but beamed "Good evening Frost!"

The ninja chuckled at her friend's crush and greeted her teammate "Hello Gerald, what's up?"

The seeker frowned "You know I hate my first name - it's Jerry or Frost. Anyway, a friend of mine got a dart board for Christmas. We were thinking a small tournament – you game?"

"I would kick your asses. You sure? Will you not be losing 'cool points' with bringing a second year?" the scarred girl asked.

"Nah, you are my buddy" Frost joked.

Saeko arched her eyebrow disbelievingly "Buddy? I guess it's better than _bro_ or something like that."

The 5th year smirked "Great! You girls are welcome too"

Helena politely declined while Ashley professed a desire to merely watch. Saeko stood up to follow the handsome black boy but half-turned to ask "Are you sure Helena? You could always bet on me."

The blonde closed her book with a sigh "You know me too well." Frost and the girls chuckled.

The group made its way to a corner of the Common Room. Saeko noticed Jamie and Jared talking with some people she didn't know. Frost waved to his friends and began introducing them "Girls, meet Eddie, Noel, his girlfriend Euridice, Raife and Duncan. You know our dear captain and beater."

"Hey" said the girls and Frost introduced them in turn.

"Anymore quiddich players you wanna invite? I don't want to lose too badly" a lanky boy with bleached hair, Raife, sighed.

Noel, a stocky fifth year smirked "Come on rock-star, we have a chance. Right babe?"

His girlfriend patted his shoulder in a patronizing manner "Sure we have. It's not like Jamie here is a premium chaser whose only goal during the game is to throw the quaffle through an impossibly small hoop. Not to mention that Jared and Uchiha here shoot moving targets quite successfully."

"Can we compete in pairs then? I'm taking Jamie then!" said the long haired scot, Duncan, and gave the chaser a one-armed hug. The platinum blonde rolled her eyes and extricated herself from His arms.

Raife shrugged "Eddie, it's your board – how do we play? Individuals, pairs, teams?"

"Individuals, otherwise it's no fun" the boy replied.

It didn't take long and the board was in place and the order of players was set. Even before the game started a small crowd gathered, courtesy of Helena's betting buddies. Wayne, Rory and Cameron - the resident jokers spelled some stuff to look like pom-poms and were trying to come up with a cheerleading chant to the amusement of all. The group even got themselves a referee – the Headgirl herself.

At first Saeko was thinking of holding back. She got perfect scores on shuriken and kunai throwing even on the first day of the academy – Fugaku wouldn't have it any other way. But Euridice's words proved the perfect cover for her skills, and to be honest Saeko loved to shine.

The competitors threw three darts each, starting with Eddie. The Uchiha went third. She threw her darts with a lazy smirk, getting the perfect 180 points. Jamie patted her beater's shoulder with pride "That's why I we are going to win the Quidditch Cup. Nice work."

"Thanks taichō. Now if you would do the same…" Saeko smirked.

Jamie chuckled "Cheeky brat. I'll show ya."

First round finished with a resounding victory for the ninja. And Helena – the blonde heeded her friend's advice and bet on the jounin.

As the game progressed a few things became clear – no one can beat the Uchiha in throwing, Noel and Euridice were a sickeningly sweet couple and Duncan had the hots for the quidditch captain. When the scot was having his turn Saeko made fun of the blonde which just rolled her eyes in annoyance for her suitor.

The fifth round was agreed to be the last. The winner had been decided long before so the true competition was for second place – Jamie and Eddie were only few points apart.

"YES!" Eddie shouted as he hit the dead center on his third dart, building a nice cushion of points.

The chaser was going last. The room held their collective breath as she threw her projectiles. The Team swore as her second dart fell short of the triple twenty. When the game finished Jamie kicked the nearby wall "Dammit! I was so close."

The Headgirl officially announced the scores as the Ravens clapped. Duncan approached the chaser to 'comfort' her despite her clear annoyance.

Jared high-fived his fellow beater "Way to go girl!"

Frost clapped her shoulder "Congrats. Who would've thought, the young girl kicked our asses."

"I warned you" Saeko smirked, soaking the praise.

When the crowd began dissolving the scarred jounin approached Helena who was discreetly counting coins in a corner "Hey Helena. I'm sure you know we are splitting your winnings, right?"

The blonde frowned but acquiesced "I can split 20 80."

"No way. 40 to 60 minimum. That's not up to discussion" Saeko said firmly.

"Ok" the Brit sighed and counted off the money.

The Uchiha pocketed the coins but before she left she asked "Hey, out of curiosity, who else bet on me?"

"Most of the lower-years, unsurprisingly. You are their representative and you kinda have idol status. You better win the next quidditch match or it will not be pretty" Helena shrugged.

"That's not funny, you know" Saeko frowned.

"It wasn't meant to be."

XXX

Ashley reached her friends with her guitar in hand "Hey, do you have any plans for today?"

"What's special about today?" Saeko asked with interest, looking up from her book.

"It's the Hogsmade weekend. Since today's weather is perfect I would guess that all older-years will be out" said the brunette.

Saeko chuckled "So that's why I saw our favorite prefect so dolled up!"

"Geoffrey? Maybe he finally manned up and asked that Hufflepuff out" Helena smirked.

"Didn't think to ask. But it's nice the school make the option to go somewhere else around Valentine's Day" the half-blood mused.

The ninja perked up "So if most of our housemates will be out playing cupid we have the Common Room for ourselves? Sweet!"

"Which brings me back to my question – any plans for today?" Ashley asked while playing with the cords of her instrument.

Helena shook her head "Not really. I would read but I'm not actually in the mood. Maybe we could round up some people and play something."

"Wow, Grey! You want to socialize? The world must be ending!" the shot brunette exclaimed dramatically. The blonde merely glared at her friend.

The Uchiha chuckled "She got you there. As for your query – I was thinking of some exercise outside but if you have something better I wouldn't mind."

"Nah, that's why I was asking. Pity we can't go to Hogsmeade too – the third year rule is stupid" Ashley frowned.

The three girls sat in silence, trying to come up with something to do. It was rare that all of them were in lazy mood. Finally Saeko spoke up "Well, since you have your guitar here you could play something."

"I was thinking that too but I expected less people around when I brought her here" the brunette glanced nervously around.

"_Her_?" Helena arched her eyebrows in disbelief.

"What's wrong with Greta?" Ashley asked testily and hugged her guitar close.

The blonde laughed "Greta? This is precious! Saeko, are you hearing this?" When she noticed neither of her friends were smiling she chuckled, a bit embarrassed "Come on. It's hilarious!"

Saeko shrugged "I like the custom of naming personal possessions that have some meaning to you. Warriors often name their weapons – I sure name mine. My battle fan is called Kaen and my tantō is Chiyaki."

"A sharp bladed instrument of death and it's called Chiyaki?" Helena asked, completely bewildered.

"Yep" the ninja answered with a sweet smile.

Helena shook her head "You are really weird, both of you."

Ashley caresses the guitar "Nah. It could be worse. Did you know that one of the most fearsome Viking jarls – Olaf the Destroyer – rode into battle with his trusty sword called 'Fluffy Bunny'?"

"Fluffy Bunny" the blonde whispered, clearly contemplating the sanity of the people that surrounded her.

"Indeed. And if you ever meet Gladys, the electric guitar I received this Christmas, please don't insult her. She doesn't like that" the short brit continued.

"Don't insult the guitar" Helena repeated in the same tone as before.

Saeko was never so glad in having perfected the Uchiha stoic mask otherwise she would be rolling on the floor laughing at Helena's face.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Common Room**

Saeko entered the Tower after her spar with Itachi still wearing work-out clothes. The room was unusually crowded and loud. Most of the older years were drinking from muggle plastic cups, partying. The ninja spotted a familiar platinum blonde near the fireplace

"What is going on?" the confused ninja asked Jamie.

The 5th year turned in surprise "Oh, hey Saeko! Raydor, the seventh year prefect, got scouted by the auror corps. He did some dueling competition in the summer and Christmas and some big-shot from the department was there. The letter arrived yesterday and his friends organized this shindig."

"Oh, good for him! Which one is he now?" asked the Uchiha

"That one over there, drunk off his ass" Jamie shook her head.

Saeko looked the indicated direction and nodded "Didn't know there were competitions open for students."

"Me neither but I was never interested. But he's 17 now so it's ok I guess" the chaser shrugged.

The brunette nodded and made a motion to take the cup her captain was holding. Jamie arched her eyebrow but relinquished her beverage. Saeko took a gulp "Not bad. I didn't expect good quality alcohol at a school party. And to answer your question I am legally adult back home."

"I haven't asked anything, though the thought had crossed my mind. How come? I mean about being adult. You are what? 13?" asked the blonde.

The scarred ninja smiled and thought about the genin exams "We have a rite of passage of a sort. If you pass you are an adult."

"Peculiar. You are from Japan right?" the older girl inquired.

Saeko grinned cheekily "Classified. Our society is very secretive and also very unusual. You can't judge others by our standards."

Jamie arched her eyebrow "I'm confused. But I guess I already drank a little so I'm not going to question you. Also I'm without a drink so excuse me."

"Sure" the kunoichi replied and went in search of her friends. She stopped to talk with some other players from her team and classmates alike but she could find neither Ashley nor Helena. Then she decided to check the dorm floor. When she entered her room se was greeted by her roommate, Helena, Caitlin, Peter, Graham, Paddy and Daniel – the people she began calling 'her little poker group'.

"You do know these rooms are not designed for so many people, right?" the Uchiha sighed. She made her way to her bed and wedged herself between Graham and Helena. "So what are you doing?" she asked.

"We tried playing exploding snap but your cover kinda caught on fire so we stopped" Ashley said sheepishly.

"Morons" the kunoichi sighed in exasperation. The group chorused an apology. "So what's this?" she asked.

Patrick answered "Caitlin and Daniel are playing a muggle card game ironically called Magic. It is actually quite brilliant."

Saeko was intrigued "Only two can play?"

"It works best that way. It emulates battle" Daniel said distractedly as he focused on his cards once more.

"Really now? Interesting…"


	21. 2- 21 Happiness and Grief

*** Happiness and Grief***

Jamie descended from the stairs that to the dorms. She looked around for her team only to spot most of them standing together near the statue of their patron founder. Only her keeper and Saeko were missing. Looking for her missing members she spotted the young beater sitting next to her friends, chatting happily. Jamie approached the second years "Good morning."

The girls replied in the same manner, Saeko adding her customary taichō. "Are you going to sit with the team for the game or your friends?"

Before the ninja could answer Ashley smirked "Sorry captain. Lover girl here has a date."

Jamie arched her eyebrow and said teasingly "Really now? Who's the lucky gal?"

"It's not really a date. I'm just meeting a girl I may or may not be interested in, and her friends, to cheer her House Team on" Saeko said airily.

"A Hufflepuff then!" the platinum blonde smirked and nodded towards the yellow scarf.

Helena was quick to reply in her friend's stead "Indeed. A third year. She won't tell us the name. As if we couldn't find out the moment we step onto the stands."

"That's not the point. Right now I'm just getting to know her and I'm going to enjoy a nice Sunday and a quidditch match" the scarred kunoichi replied.

Jamie and the girls hummed knowingly with a glint in their eyes – it almost looked rehearsed. Saeko stood up and brushed of speck of imaginary dust from her uniform and said neutrally "Now if you excuse me, I'm off."

"To collect your date?" Helena smirked.

When Saeko made no motion to reply Jamie spoke up "Well, good luck with your wooing. Now please pay attention not only to your gal but also the match. We have already seen the Gryffs play, but observe anyway. With all the fuss that is around the team now we need to win."

"Aye aye captain!" the Uchiha saluted and proudly went through the passage that led from the common room.

X

Saeko made her way through the stands full of yellow-clad students. She spotted her target few rows down and smiled. "Ohayō Faito-san!" Saeko sing-songed and clapped her friend on her back.

Faith jumped, startled by the sudden appearance behind her, but smiling anyway "Hey, Saeko. Glad you could make it."

"Faith! You didn't say your friend was the Ravenclaw beater!" said the petite blonde next to Faith.

The brunette just shrugged and scooted over so that Saeko could sit next to her. Looking the Raven over she nodded appreciatively "Badger colors. You could use some face-paint but I'll take it."

"Why thank you, Faith," the ninja smirked, "I believe some introductions are in order?"

"Yes, of course. Saeko please meet Serena, Abby and Sofia. Oh also Lucas and Greg" the brunette introduced her friends who waved in turn.

Saeko smiled "Nice to meet you all."

"Helooo?" said the petite blonde from before, Serena, as she waved her hand before Faith, "My question?"

"You didn't ask any" the Faith smirked

Serena rolled her eyes "It was implied. How do you two know each other? And why didn't you tell?"

"The library, where else to meet a Ravenclaw" the brunette replied and her housemates chuckled.

The Uchiha shrugged "What can I say, I do my House proud. As do you – you really went all out for this game."

The group grinned. All of them were wearing yellow jumpers with a black badger on their chest, black scarves, gloves and hats. The boys and Sofia had their face painted. Faith had her lips painted vivid yellow, same as the other girls. "Yep. But wait for our game with the Snakes, we have a banner ready for that one" Sofia boasted.

"Really? Just for the Snakes?" the ninja asked, interested.

"Lucas here is quite the artist – he drew an amazing badger that's eating a snake" Abby said as she looked all starry-eyed at the boy in question. The boy blushed at the praise.

The Puffs and the lone Ravenclaw between them continued talking until the commentator announced the game and presented the players. As the yellow-clad players made a lap around the pitch Saeko had to chuckle at the noise level all around her – the Hufflepuff really were all about House unity.

"_Madame Hooch has released the quaffle and THE GAME IS ON ladies and gentlemen!_" the commentator, another Badger, said for all the arena to hear.

The game was fast and quite wild but also very close – the chasers were nearly tied with their goals. It looked like it would come down to the seekers who were furiously searching for the elusive golden snitch.

"… _and Cadman saves another one! Great job Cadman! Quaffle goes to, wait, forget that – it looks like White has seen the snitch! Fraiser is right behind him. It's the real deal, come on Fraiser!_"

Despite the yellow sea encouraging their seeker to fly faster it was Leon White who ultimately caught the snitch and ended the game in Gryffindor's favour. The final score was 140 to 260.

Saeko didn't dare to make a comment since her companions were silent, their disappointment quite evident. Then as one they began talking, discussing the match and making their displeasure clear. The relieved kunoichi joined up.

Serena summed it up "Uchiha's scorned lover was just better. Well, I'm sure his brand new broom helped." The girl in question rolled her eyes as the group chuckled.

The group gathered their things and made its way out of the stands, still chatting and grumpily observing the celebrating Gryffindors. Greg and Lucas were making plans for Exploding Snap back at Hufflepuff common room when Faith spoke up "Sounds good but I'm going to take a walk to cool off. Saeko, wanna come with?"

The scarred kunoichi was impressed by her boldness and her poker-face despite her friend's amused and shocked faces. "Sure" she replied. Saeko and Faith took off together, not waiting for verbal reactions from the Hufflepuffs.

When they were out of earshot Faith said with a sigh "I'll never hear the end of this from them."

"Probably" Saeko snickered as she heard Lucas wolf-whistle.

Faith looked at the taller girl "It did come out kinda wrong. We just didn't have the time to talk at all during the match." Saeko smiled, quite happy how the things took a more date-like turn.

The girls spent the next hour walking around the lake, talking.

X

**Ravenclaw Tower**

The kunoichi entered her Common Room in a very good mood.

"Saeko, over here!" Ashley called from her favorite seat near the window. The Uchiha was not surprised at all and ready to face the music. She made her way to her friend that was far from alone.

"Hey. How did you like the match? It's a shame the Puffs didn't win, it would give us an advantage in the Cup" the raven-haired teen said while dragging a nearby chair towards the group.

Jamie nodded "Yeah. It was a good match though. We already discussed the Gryffs with the team but nothing much has changed. I'll be briefing everyone during our next practice anyway so you didn't miss much."

"Hey hey hey! That's sooo not what we are going to talk about" Ashley spoke up.

Helena, who for once had her book of the moment closed, smirked "She's right. You do know you are not getting out of this."

Saeko gave them an innocent look, full of false confusion. Caitlin wouldn't have it "Come on, we want details. I asked my roomie – the girl you were sitting with is Faith Brennan, third year, Hufflepuff house. She's in runes and…?"

The ninja was impressed "Wow, did you do a background check on her too?"

Jamie was the one to answer "Nah, but you must know that teenage girls love to gossip. Oh, and by the way Jared says, and I quote, 'Damn, she's hot. Nice going partner'"

"Yeah, it was noticed she is quite… grown up" Ashley said as she looked down on her chest with a frown.

The quidditch captain smirked "I think the word you were looking for is 'busty'. At least soon-to-be busty."

Saeko hummed "She did look adorable in full Hufflepuff regalia, did she not?"

The blonde chaser laughed "Yeah, the only thing she and her friends didn't have was a banner proclaiming their undying love to their House team."

"Maybe next time" the kunoichi grinned.

"So what did you do after the match?" Ashley asked eagerly.

The Uchiha leaned back on her chair with a smile "We went for a walk, we talked a bit. Nothing major."

At this the girls were disappointed, even Helena. Only Jamie teased, still smirking "Ooh, not even a comforting hug that her beloved team lost the match so closely?"

The girls perked up. Saeko smiled softly "Maybe. Now, could you please drop it?"

"Okay, but one last question – will you be meeting again?" Caitlin asked.

Saeko nodded, her smile still in place. Jamie winked at her teammate "Excellent. Now, please excuse me, I have homework to do."

When the older-year took off Helena turned back to her friend "Just so you know we weren't the only ones to notice you with her."

"As long as they will not make a big deal out of it like the mess with White, it'll be okay. Or at least I hope. We are not dating – I would say she is curious but not uninterested. We will see where it goes" the brunette sighed.

Ashley was confused "Really? You asked her out without knowing she might not like girls the way you do?"

"What, you think I have some mystical power of Gaydar?" the scarred girl chuckled, "Of course I asked her, how else that would be determined?"

The smaller brunette rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "Oh, sorry, that makes sense."

Helena smiled at the ninja "She seems nice, I hope it goes well – we live vicariously through you afterall."

Saeko chuckled.

XXX

**Ashley's and Saeko's Room**

The girls were in their room, reading, with Helena, who could barely stand her roommate and was right at home. Caitlin was with them – since there was an odd number of girls in their year she was rooming with an older-year and she and her friends were having a study group there.

Suddenly they heard a gentle tap on the window. Saeko stood up and let a one of her brother's crows in with slight trepidation.

"You got mail?" the blonde pureblood asked.

Caitlin arched her eyebrow "I have been meaning to ask - why ravens?"

"Crows" replied the rest of the girls in unison. It was far from the first time they had to answer that particular question.

The Irish girl rolled her eyes "Why crows then?"

"Just because" the ninja smirked as she went to unseal some raw meat for the bird. "Just as well I could ask why owls."

"Fair point" Caitlin acknowledged and returned to her book.

Saeko murmured thanks to the summon and gave her a treat. She took the scroll and sat on her bed to open it. The crow did not wait and flew right back into the night.

The scroll contained two seals – one for the letter and one for a package. Saeko's eyes lit up at the thought of a gift but she decided to open that when she was alone. She channeled chakra into the first seal and several papers poofed right into her hands.

The first letter was from her brother – Itachi was on a mission when they were supposed to meet. His letter was short but one piece of information stood out – Tsunade. During one of his Orochimaru missions he met the fabled medic. It seems that the meeting gave him and the Hokage an idea because he sent Jiraiya, along with Naruto, to try to retrieve the Senju to look over the potions and healing spells Saeko brought to Konoha. The Uchiha grinned as she read – having Tsunade in her corner would be a huge bonus when she went for Hokage. Naruto might get to meet her first but if she is supposed to go over her work… But the Senju and the Uchiha were notorious enemies… On the other hand… Bah, she'll have to wait for more information.

The next letter made her smile – Neji's teammates were promoted and they completed several high-level missions with the Hyuuga as their leader. Also he and Hiashi were training together. All in all he seemed happy.

She opened the next letter, also from a Hyuuga. Saeko smiled that her sensei from her genin days had thought to write her. The smile turned into a frown fast. Saeko sighed as she folded the letter back up. Ashley noticed the change in her friend "Bad news?"

"An old teammate of mine died" Saeko sighed. Her Uchiha mask was still in place but she was distraught.

"Oh my god!" Caitlin and Ashley gasped. Helena was more distinguished about it but was clearly shocked as well.

Saeko nodded "Shintani Sakuya. Older than me, a first generation shinobi but very good. A swordsman. Funny guy. Such a shame"

The British brunette shook her head in disbelief "You seem so blasé about it!"

The scarred kunoichi looked her friends in the eye "He was a soldier, he knew the risks. I'm sad and pissed but an Uchiha has to be composed at all times."

"I can't believe you! The only think that was missing in that statement was 'meh, it's the cycle of life'" Ashley shrieked. Since the jounin didn't react the musician shook her head and exited the room with a slam of the door.

The two Brits sat in awkward silence. Finally Caitlin spoke "She is kinda right, you know."

"Your statement did seem a tad bit cold" Helena agreed with the Irish gal.

Saeko shrugged "I apologize, but it is how I said. Besides he is not the first soldier I knew that died. And he will not be the last."

Helena nodded in acceptance. She was unsure how to feel about her friend's pragmatism but ultimately it made sense. Caitlin knew little about Saeko and her life in Konoha so she was more disturbed. The kunoichi noticed "My family is military as well, you know. My parents died too, as did my grandparents. I could go on. I'm sad but we learned to cope with death long ago."

Caitlin nodded "I think I understand. Ashley will too, don't worry."

The raven-haired teen gave a tight smile and returned to her mail, hoping for no more bad news. Finally she selected Naruto's letter, the blond made her smile more often than not. She was not disappointed – from what she could read she looked forward to see the blond's interacting with his mentor 'ero-sennin'.

Saeko read all the letters except one which she purposely left for last. It seemed Yuuko had overheard Ino and Shika talking about the Uchiha and writing letters to her. The letter made her grin. It was obvious the blonde had close interaction with Anko at the T&I. She enjoyed the flirtatious tone and she used her wand to summon quill and parchment to reply in kind.

Not much later Helena deemed it was quite late and bid the two girls goodnight. Caitlin got up when the blonde did and she too exited the room with a smile and wave. When both Brits were gone Saeko opened the package her brother sent her. She was delighted to see four books which were quite obviously been bought in Knockturn Alley or from some less reputable bookshop.

"Arigatō Nii-san" Saeko smiled.

X

**Next Morning**

Saeko woke up early. She went to sleep not long after her friends excused themselves, only skimming her newly arrived books. The ninja decided to give Ashley space – this way she could enter the room without any interaction.

Her roommate was still asleep when the raven-haired teen finished her morning routine. With one last check in the mirror Saeko picked up her sealed supplies and double checked her weapons. She was almost out the door when she heard a sleepy "Good morning."

The ninja turned and smiled "Ohayō Ash."

The smaller brunette sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes "After I wake up more, can I talk to you? I wanted to apologize."

"There is no need" the Uchiha smiled, glad her friend was ok with her.

"No it's not. You told me you were a soldier – it was always so abstract a concept, but yesterday… Well, I understand. Also for the first time I realized that you could die on your job" Ashley explained.

Saeko sat down on her bed "I'm always careful, but yes it's possible. But believe me I'm not going down before I achieve my dream and become Hokage."

The british girl nodded weakly "That's good to know. Also there is one other thing." The Uchiha nodded in encouragement, already knowing the question. "Have you ever killed anybody?"

"Yes" Saeko exhaled, "I have. I am a shinobi."

Ashley gulped "I thought so." After few seconds of silence she spoke up once more "Does it make me a bad friend that I just want to pretend you are not?"

"No, it makes you human. It makes you a civilian, an innocent who never had to face war" the ninja said solemnly.

The other girl just nodded and got up. Saeko gave her a tight smile, understanding - forgetting about it may be the best way to go. She just hoped that Jiraiya's intel about Voldemort was incorrect.


	22. 2- 22 'Tis the Season Again

***'Tis the Season Again***

„Okay, that's it. Everybody land!" Jamie shouted to her team and angled her broom down. The quidditch players were quick to obey. Once their feet touched the grass they all sat down in a circle as per usual.

Jamie put her broom behind her and looked over the group "Well, that's it. The last training before our match, is over. Let's review one last time."

"Slytherin is the most aggressive team, almost brutish. The chasers need to pay extra attention to their counterparts, plenty of fouls" McPherson started.

Wayne nodded "True. Jared and Saeko will handle the bludgers but Duke & co. can do plenty of damage themselves. We practiced penalty shots so at least we should get points out of it."

"We'll handle the bludgers, you can count on us" Saeko nodded.

"Aye. We play aggressive too so their players will have to watch out. And we have our ace in the hole – that is if we can pull it off, right Frostie?" Jared chimed in.

Frost frowned at the nickname "I'll try. Archer will not know what hit him."

The platinum blonde chaser smirked evilly and looked over to her beaters "Yes, if we can take the seeker out we have a huge advantage. Just don't overdo it – both of you are strong as hell."

The scarred kunoichi shrugged "He'll live."

"I'm glad you are on our side" Rory chuckled and the other chaser nodded in agreement.

Jamie ran her hand through her hair and said in warning "Last game we blew the Puffs out of the water. We had the element of surprise and they couldn't handle our plays. The Snakes are different – they studied us as we studied them. And they _need_ to win. They lost to the Gryffs already and if they lose today Slytherin has no chance for the Quidditch Cup. They won last year and they want to repeat that. They will be vicious."

"We are ready" said the Uchiha firmly.

"Hell, yeah! I don't want to lose the attention we have, especially from the ladies" Wayne grinned. The two girls on the team just rolled their eyes.

The blonde chaser stood up "Ok then. We'll focus on the chasers and when the time is right we are taking out their seeker. If our plan fails we go with our backup."

"It won't be needed" Frost said confidently.

"Hai, we'll smash Archer's pretty face" Saeko smirked. The team looked at their youngest member. She just shrugged "What? It's fixable. Oh and Jerry, you be especially careful – if we are targeting the seeker, chances are they will too."

Jared nodded "Ya, even the chasers can take you if you don't pay attention." The seeker rolled his eyes but nodded.

When nobody else spoke Jamie ended the training with "Alright, off we go. Don't overdo it tonight and get plenty of sleep. We'll meet tomorrow and take go for breakfast together."

"GO RAVENS!" the team chorused and went towards their locker rooms.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Common Room**

The Ravens were ecstatic upon their victory, even professor Flitwick stopped by the Tower and congratulated Jamie and her team.

When the night fell some older-years brought out the alcohol they smuggled into the castle weeks prior, hoping for another victory. With the Weird Sisters blaring from the radio the party prep was complete.

The party began at nightfall but went well into the night. Saeko and her teammates were treated as conquering heroes, never alone for more than a few seconds. The match was recounted over and over again - the favorite part being what the Ravens began to call 'The Fall of Archer'. The ninja already anticipated some kind of retaliation outside the pitch for that stunt – especially since her housemates seemed to be keen to spread the cheer. With this in mid she made her way to her fellow beater.

"Hey Jared!" she shouted to be heard over the loud music.

"Partner! Great flying man, we showed them who's boss! Whahuu!" the boy shouted and hugged the Uchiha.

Saeko rolled her eyes "That we did. I just wanted to warn you about the Slytherins, Archer and his year mates in particular – they will want revenge. Be careful in class and the hallways."

The older beater finished his glass in one gulp "Let them come, I'll get them good!"

The girl patted her friend's shoulder "Sure. I'll talk to you in the morning when you are not three sheets to the wind."

"That's funny, that what Cat said" Jared slurred.

Saeko was intrigued "Who?"

"My girlfriend, Catherine. She's a beeeeauty!" the fourth-year answered.

"Good for you. You finally get the girl but you are piss drunk to keep her" the Uchiha shook her head and left Jared to his own devices.

Two steps away she was besieged by some first years who were bummed out they weren't allowed to drink, and had to go play-by-play over the game once more.

When she had finally gotten free she tried to spot some of her friends. She was successful and practically skipped towards Helena, who was sitting in the corner of the room. The blonde smiled at her friend "Ahh, the hero returns."

Saeko rolled her eyes "Hn. I was not expecting you to be here this late, you are not really the party type."

"I'm not but I find myself amused none the less. I enjoy people watching and this parade of drunken quidditch fans is quite a show" said the pureblood.

"It's fun but I think it should come to an end soon – tomorrow might be Sunday but it's late, or early, depending from your point of view. I'm surprised the professors didn't come already" Saeko shrugged.

Helena smiled "Maybe they think we deserve it. And our House seldom causes problems."

The brunette hummed "Changing topics, where is everybody?"

"Don't really know. Ashley is somewhere with Peter and his buddies. I think I can see Caitlin bugging your dear captain. Oh and my roomie is in Joanne and Angela's room presumably passed out – some idiot gave her alcohol despite being a second year."

"Oh, joy. Well, at least she will be puking in her friend's room and not in yours" Saeko mused.

The Gray chuckled "Indeed. On that note I might go there and go to sleep."

"I was thinking that too. I'm getting bored here and…" Saeko could not finish the sentence as an older Ravenclaw girl danced towards her, took her face in her hands and kissed her out of the blue.

Saeko was shocked but quickly came to her senses and reciprocated. When they parted the older girl smiled and left without a word. The Uchiha turned towards her friend "I may stay a while longer."

Helena uncharacteristically let out a full blown laugh and winked. "I guess we are not telling this to Faith?"

"I can't help it if they ambush me. But I'm telling her" Saeko said with a grin.

"Right, poor innocent Uchiha. Well, good night and good luck" said Helena. She stood up, waved to her friend and went up the stairs that led to the dorms.

The ninja smirked and went to mingle once more.

XXX

**Next morning**

Saeko woke up in a great mood. The night before she drank only a little and well... they won the match. Seeing her roommate still drooling on her pillow she dressed quietly and exited the room with only a small click of the door.

The Common Room was not as messy as Saeko would've predicted – the house elves already cleaned up the evidence of yesterday's party. They could do nothing about the students though – several of them were in different position on the floor and chairs. The kunoichi chuckled as she spotted her prefect friend sprawled over the sofa near the fireplace.

As Geoffrey opened his eyes he groaned and promptly shut them again. Trying one more time he spotted the raven-haired girl "Is the room spinning?"

"Yer, someone's coming to fix it on Monday" Saeko grinned at his obvious hang-over.

She contemplated nagging a little but ultimately she decided against it, quietly slipping away.

The castle was relatively quiet despite the hour, many student liked to sleep in when they could. When she entered the Great Hall she spotted only few students at their tables. Only the Head table was relatively full. Professor Flitwick caught her eye and waved enthusiastically. The Uchiha grinned and nodded back.

As she sat down on her favorite spot she had to smile – the house elves that manned the kitchens came through once more. She was enjoying her miso soup when a group of Hufflepuffs came in. Saeko spotted Faith among them but the brunette didn't see her. Biting her thumb inconspicuously she performed the summoning under the table. The small raven she called for flew up and settled on her shoulder. She unsealed her writing supplies and quickly scribbled a letter. "Take this to the brunette over there. If she writes back bring it to me otherwise please fly out and return home. And remember, don't speak" she instructed and gave the bird a piece of bacon from a nearby plate.

The raven nodded and took flight. Faith and her housemates were taken by surprise by the messenger. The brunette took the letter and read it. Her confusion turned into a pleasant surprise and looked over to the Ravenclaw table. When she noticed the Uchiha she leaned to say something to her friends and stood up.

Saeko smiled as Faith sat down opposite her "Ohayo Faito-san."

"Good morning. _Join me for breakfast_, S.? Classy" said the brunette and stacked a few waffles onto her plate.

"What can I say, but I'm glad you agreed. Tea?" the scarred brunette smiled and held up the pot.

"Yes please" Faith nodded. "Nice game yesterday. You were great."

The kunoichi grinned "Thanks, it was a tough game. The Snakes researched us well but we were prepared. But please don't make me talk about the match, I lost count on how many times I had to do that last night."

Faith chuckled "I imagine. Did you have a party? Usually there are more Ravens around, their noses buried in books."

"We are not that bad" Saeko shook her head.

The two girls spent their breakfast talking and laughing. Saeko even confessed the kiss blitz attack – she was pleased at the slightly jealous gleam in Faith's eye as she got a laugh in reply. When they finally parted ways Saeko was in an even better mood than before. She returned to the Tower, whistling.

XXX

**Hogwarts Infirmary**

"I told ya to be careful" said Saeko once more as she helped Frost to the infirmary.

The limping boy sighed "I know, no need to rub it in. And hey, this way I get to ditch transfiguration."

"Yeah. You were lucky though, it could've been much worse" said the ninja.

"What do we have here?" asked the nurse the moment the duo stepped through the doors of her domain.

Jerry was ushered to sit on one of the beds "A bunch of Slytherins happened. Long story short I fell down a flight of stairs. I think my ankle is sprained or broken."

Madame Pomfrey performed a diagnostic spell and nodded "Right you are Mr Frost. Ms Lewis, could you please bring me the standard potions?"

"Sure" said a voice from behind a curtain.

"Lauren?" Saeko asked as she saw her herbology partner carrying three little bottles and one vial.

The red-head smiled and handed the potions to the nurse who thanked her and cast a murmured a spell onto the seeker's ankle.

Saeko turned to her Slytherin fried, knowing Frost was in good hands "What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"I am," the second girl smiled, "I'm just helping out. I told you I wanted to be a healer so since I have Wednesday classes only in the afternoon Madame Pomfrey teaches me some things. She was very gracious."

"I'm impressed" the Uchiha replied.

Lauren smiled "I heard what happened. He really should've been more careful. My House is quite known for preemptory and retaliatory attacks. I'm actually surprised I haven't seen any of your teammates here before now."

"We were careful. I got ambushed too but I took care of it" the ninja nodded with a smirk at her victory.

"Was it McNair, Kerr and their lot?" the red-head asked.

Saeko cocked her head to the side "Those are in our year right? No, they were older, maybe 3rd years. Hey, could you do me an overview on your year mates?"

"Like the 'who's who'?" the Brit frowned.

"Yep. You must have a hierarchy" the scarred girl asked eagerly.

Lauren was hesitant "We do. Ok, I'll help you but you owe me."

Saeko thought about it for a second "Alright."

"Well," the red-head started, "there is Lachlan Kerr. He's the prince of our year – influential family, rich, charismatic, ambitious. And pureblood, naturally, all except 2 in our year are. His buddies are Silas McNair and Cassius Daly – these would be the most influential ergo dangerous. Aurora Gallaher is the queen bee. Her followers are not that interesting but they are Cordelia Giles and Gaia Carlin."

"Makes sense. How do you figure into that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You know my friends already."

"Yeah, Soldy and Lexie" Saeko smirked.

Lauren chuckled "Alexia and Isolde would be thrilled if they heard your nicknames for them. Also I'm on good terms with Hadrian Maher and Terence Higgs."

"Maher is one of the half-bloods, right?" Saeko remembered.

"Yes, he and Alexia are. First year was a bit tough for them but they proved themselves to the House of Snakes. And yes, I do hang out with…, let's say 'the outcasts'" Lauren said and pursed her lips.

"Why is that?"

"I just like them more" the Slytherin shrugged.

Saeko nodded "You are not much into the blood purity stuff, or am I wrong?"

Lauren shrugged "Not really. My family is and since I hate them I'm not almost on principle. Plus I want to be a healer and a healer doesn't discriminate. That said I can't stand the muggle-borns that come here and want to 'improve' everything."

"I hear ya. Helena's roommate is just like that but she keeps it to herself and her friends mostly. You hate your family, huh?" the Ravenclaw agreed.

The red-head seemed to regret saying that "My aunt and uncle, yes. My parents are dead so I'm stuck with them as guardians."

"You will be Clan Head, right?"

"Head of House, but yeah" the British girl replied.

"Cool. My brother holds that title. Actually he and I never agreed with my parents on our clan's policy, but now he's the boss." She smiled and casually looked back to the bed her friend was sitting on, "Hey, where is Frost?" Saeko frowned.

Lauren looked over the ninja's shoulder "Hm, he must've left. I didn't even notice."

"Madame Pomfrey? Where is my darling teammate?" Saeko asked.

The grey-haired nurse said sternly "Gone as of five minutes ago. One would assume that a quidditch player and an aspirant healer would pay more attention."

Both girls looked down in mock shame but chuckled under their breath.

XXX

**Summoner****'s Realm**

"A whip?" Itachi asked with a raised eyebrow when he arrived to their usual place, "Where did you get a whip?"

Saeko smirked and put her new weapon down "A lady never tells, dear brother."

The Uchiha lord cocked his head to the side "Alright. Why a whip then."

"You know the Kiri hunter nin have the Suiton: Suiben, the water-whip. I discovered a great spell than is similar but uses fire. And one that just summons this whip. It's badass" the girl grinned.

"Interesting, I'm looking forward to it during our next spar" Itachi nodded. "Also I brought you the book you wanted."

"My IchaIcha? Sweet!" the girl smiled and held her hand for it.

The ANBU captain hand out the orange volume "I don't understand why you read this. The genre aside I believe the protagonist is male…"

Saeko shrugged "Yeah, that sucks. But the storyline is surprisingly good. And it's still hot. Also I can't wait to talk to Kakashi about the book when Naruto is around."

Itachi smiled "Ah. Oh and á propos Naruto and Jiraiya hadn't come back yet from their Tsunade mission."

"Makes sense, I heard about her debt-collectors. Now, let's get on with the spar, I have a date later today" the girl smirked.

The uniformed man just stood in silence for few moments before he spoke "You are dating? We will be talking about it."

"You are not going all 'daddy's magic sparkle princess' on me right?" Saeko chuckled.

"I'm your brother. Tell me about her" Itachi said commandingly.

Saeko sighed "I will. But later, if it goes somewhere. Now please, the spar?"

Itachi reluctantly activated his sharingan.


	23. 2- 23 Distractions

***Distractions***

The Ravenclaw quidditch team sat in the common room in a circle on the carpet, playing a game Saeko introduced to them.

"This… oicho-kabu?" Wayne said, uncertain about the foreign word, "is fun. It reminds me of black-jack."

Jeremy frowned "Yeah, that's because you're winning. We could've played the normal version."

"Broaden your horizons McPherson. It's not that hard a game" Jamie grinned she dealt the cards for the next round.

The keeper began protesting but Saeko chuckled "Wait till I teach someone Mahjong. That one is really hard."

"Less talking, more playing" Rory in a business-like tone.

They played a few hands in relative silence when Jared spoke up "I know we talked about it but your Wronski feint on today's training was awesome."

"Yeah, if you can repeat it in our final match… Damn, that would go into history!" Wayne exclaimed.

"White would totally fall for that. But I don't know, target the seeker two times in a row?" Jamie mused.

Frost folded his cards "Thanks for the confidence but I did it once, I don't think I could pull it off during a match, so this discussion is moot."

"Shame" Jared sighed as the group played another round which Wayne won again.

James sighed at his abysmal score "I suck at this. By the way have you heard about Safaya?"

"The keeper for the Holyhead Harpies? No" the captain asked, curious about the gossip one of the best teams in the country.

As nobody from the circle knew McPherson smiled smugly "Rumor has it she's pregnant which means she will only finish the season and won't be on the team next year."

"No way!" Jamie said, crushed by the development.

"Ha! The Wigtown Wanderers may have a shot then. The Montrose Magpies are down a player too! Awesome!" Rory whooped.

His captain shot him an icy glare. The next half-hour the chasers and keeper discussed heatedly the quidditch teams and their chances for the Cup and next season. The rest of the team was watching on, amused by the occasional bouts of shouting and wild gesticulation.

When McPherson breached the topic of OWLs the two fifth-years shook their heads. Frost summed it up for them both "No, no, no we are not talking about school right now. We agreed we would have fun and that certainly does not qualify."

"Exactly. We could always talk about that incident from yesterday, right James?" Jamie snickered.

The keeper frowned and crossed his arms "That is a thing we agreed not to talk about."

"Buuut I wanna know what happened. Not that speculating isn't fun – cause I already heard some pretty hilarious stuff" Jamie pouted, her eyes shining with mirth.

Saeko joined in on the teasing "Yep, James, what did you do? Leaving a nice girl in tears, shame on you!"

James muttered "No comment!"

"Pity" Jared said grinning and the team proceeded to tease the keeper till he huffed, put his cards down and left.

XXX

**DADA Classroom**

"The next topic we will cover in this class is the undead creatures. Today I will be talking about the inferius. You may note that the dark creatures I lecture on are indeed very dark. The Hogwarts curriculum leaves them for later but I find Grindylows and Red-caps boring so I will leave them for the next teacher. I believe you have no problem with this arrangement?" said Bangasé and looked at the students who quickly shook their heads.

"The inferi are corpses, dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's bidding. The inferius is typical for the anglo-american culture but similar creatures can be found elsewhere under different names – Draughr, Revenant, Lich, Jiangshi and Zonbi. And yes, the last one is where the popular muggle term zombie comes from."

"An inferius is created through the magical branch of Dark Arts called Necromancy. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding…"

Saeko mechanically took her notes, slightly disgusted by the topic – it reminded her too much of Orochimaru. She thought back at the Sand-Sound invasion when the snake nin brought back the shodaime and nidaime.

When the pigmy teacher told them they were a favorite of the latest English Dark Lord Saeko sighed. Jiraiya told her that Voldemort was most likely still alive and according to the contract they signed with Dumbledore Konoha will be involved if he ever returns.

The Uchiha paid extra attention when Bangasé began speaking about methods of defense against the inferi and had to smile when fire was the answer. Supposedly a Firestorm spell was ideal to get rid of those vile creatures – Saeko made a mental note to look it up to add to het collection.

When the bell finally rang the students packed up and headed to their respective dormitories since it was the last lesson before supper. Saeko's friends talked excitedly about the lesson, Helena was morbidly perky, but the ninja just wanted to do something. Saeko decided to go to the Summoner's realm to unwind. The other Ravens just waved, already used to the more active lifestyle that the Uchiha led.

Saeko ran in full speed to the Forbidden Forest, enjoying the late afternoon air. Once deep in the woods she stopped and got herself reverse-summoned.

Once she finished her customary greetings to the ravens she made a single hand-seal "Kagebushin no Jutsu!"

A perfect copy of the Uchiha heir appeared with half her chakra. The clone smirked "Hey boss. So what's the plan after this useless day?"

The original Saeko pursed her lips to think "You are too fragile for anything but jutsu so what about a purely doton battle?"

"Cool" the clone replied and immediately attacked.

Saeko jumped high to avoid the earth spikes that sought to impale her from below and while still in the ear she retaliated with mud bullets.

The fight went on for quite a while, both combatants fighting hard enough for a decent work-out but not enough to dispel the clone. Finally the clone poofed back into smoke, his chakra depleted. Saeko contemplated summoning another one but ultimately took her wand out and cast tempus. Sighing at the time she looked over the sparring field. Using quite a bit of chakra to fix the ground she thought back to Naruto and his army of clones – if he ever got some brain and large area destruction jutsu he would be capable of wiping entire armies. Since that was her preferred way to fight the blonde was competition indeed.

When Saeko appeared back in Scotland her chakra was very low but she still had plenty of energy. The Uchiha decided she could explore the Forest a bit more.

An hour later when she joined her friends in the Great Hall for dinner she was tired but cheerful. Ashley arched her eyebrow "Nice jog?"

"Oh yes" Saeko beamed.

Caitlin looked up from her meal and studied the Uchiha "If jogging makes you this happy maybe I will join you for a run sometime."

"Sure. But tell me one thing – how do you feel about giant spiders?" the raven-haired girl asked, still smiling.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Helena asked.

Saeko just shrugged and picked up her chopsticks, her grin never faltering.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Common Room**

It was very late, only few students lingered on the usually crowded room since it was a week day. Saeko wasn't really sleepy so she indulged in the Uchiha favorite pastime – watching fire. The ninja sat on the thick blue carpet in front of one of the fireplaces, mesmerized by the flames. The brunette found it relaxing, it helped her thinking.

As she bathed in the red light she slowly ran through all her fire based techniques, jutsu or otherwise, in her mind. She looked at way to combine them, make them stronger, alter them, combine them - generally improve them. Saeko relished in her bingo book name and since fire was her clan's passion these were the moments she felt most serene.

"Hey Saeko, can't sleep?" a deep voice said behind the Uchiha.

The kunoichi kept her gaze firmly on the flames "Not really. I enjoy the calm that is here this late. You Geoffrey?"

Geoffrey sat down next to the brunette "Just making rounds as any good prefect should. You should really go to sleep. I just convinced the seventh-years over there to go to bed, you should follow them."

"They were studying for NEWTs right? I listened to them for a while, I must say I'm looking forward to more advanced spellwork" Saeko said.

"And what are you doing? From where I'm standing you are just staring at the fire with a slightly maniacal grin" the prefect smiled.

"A fire starts as a spark, a burning ember in the dark" Saeko intoned.

"Poetry?"

"Nah, it just came to me. I was just thinking. Hey do you know anything about how Fiendyfire works? Making fire come alive seems so impossible and yet it has been done" the Uchiha asked about her most recent discovery.

The prefect looked up sharply "Fiendyfire? That's quite a bit of dark magic."

Saeko answered the implied question "Flitwick gave me a book on elemental magic. Fiendyfire was mentioned as the pinnacle of fire magic. To be honest this is the most fascinating spell I encountered as well as the most powerful – and I read about the unforgivables."

Geoffrey chuckled about the girl's enthusiasm "There is no doubt you indeed belong in Ravenclaw. But no, I don't know much about Fiendyfire, I prefer transfiguration. I guess the library could hold more information but it will most likely be in the Restricted Section."

"Yeah, I figured" the scarred brunette sighed. She already determined that sneaking in that particular section of the Castle would be near impossible with all the security Dumbledore had in place. It would require careful planning. Better to wait. Saeko sighed once more.

The prefect smiled and stood up "When you are older maybe Flitwick will give you a pass, he is generous to his Ravens. Well, I'm off to bed, you should go too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight" Saeko replied. When the boy left she turned her face to the fire once more. After a while she giggled rather ominously "_Well, there is always Amaterarsu."_

XXX

**Hogwarts****'**** Grounds**

Saeko was reading the History book under a tree near the Black Lake, waiting for Faith. Looking up from her textbook she glanced around her to see if the Hufflepuff girl was coming. Her gaze paused at the lake before her – she often wondered if the giant squid that resided there was actually a boss summon. Smirking at the thought of jealous Kiri nin – fucking bloodline purists – she went back to reading about Vlad III, prince of Wallachia, also charmingly known as Vlad the Impaler.

It wasn't long and the ninja heard her date speak "Hey. Been here long?"

"A bit. It's such a nice day I came early. Plus it's a great spot to catch up with History in peace" Saeko smiled at the brunette who sat beside her.

Faith took the kunoichi's book from her hands and looked it over "Ahh, Count Dracula. Yep, vampires beat the goblin rebellions every time."

"I liked the goblin rebellions at first. Well, not how Binns talks about them, but still" the Ravenclaw sighed.

"Yeah, but there were so many of them - after a while it kinda sucks" Faith shrugged.

Saeko smiled "Yep, that's an accurate observation."

The girls spent white a while discussing history of magic, a topic that seemed to interest them both. After talking about the witch hunts Faith sighed "You know, it's so weird studying something I already did before in the muggle world - it's so different. Diametrically different - in fact, sometimes I have a hard time adjusting. And you have all those asses in Slytherin who snicker when you have a question."

"You ask questions in History? I always thought Binns doesn't even realize at there are people in the room" Saeko mused.

Faith shrugged "Yeah, I tried that once. It was actually pretty funny. He called me miss Fáelán or something like that. It sounded ancient and Irish." The brunette rolled her eyes as the scarred girl began to snicker, "Anyways, he got really confused but he answered."

"Really?" the Raven asked, rather impressed.

"Yeah. It was a simple one-word answer I was seeking but he launched into this big rant that ended with goblin rebellions anyway so… Well, let's just say I never asked again" Faith finished.

"Ballsy, I like it. I don't think many people even thought about asking something" the Uchiha smiled. The smile turned into a frown when she asked "You said Slytherin gave you trouble?"

The third-year shrugged "They don't like our House and I marked myself a muggleborn right off the bat. But not much, no, just a jibe here and there."

"If it gets any worse tell me please" the ninja urged, already thinking how to sneak some genjutsu upon the Slytherin tormentors.

Faith cooed and said in a child-like voice "Ooo, my protector is going to keep the monsters away? My very own knight in shining armor!"

"You are an ass" Saeko rolled her eyes but had to chuckle anyway.

The Puff laughed "I appreciate the sentiment. Though magical wonder aside I kinda miss some things from the muggle world. Like right now I would kill for a TV in my room – a new season of my favorite show is on and I can't watch it until June. June!"

Saeko nodded obediently, knowing how to deal with ranting people – just smile and nod. Faith continued talking, gesticulating wildly "And don't let me start on my computer. I got a great game for it this Christmas and I can't use it here because the magic here it would make my laptop go kaboom! I wrote to my old friends and they all say it's awesome. This is so unfair!"

Faith looked over to the Ravenclaw who promptly nodded again. "Oh and I miss pizza. And chinese food. And thai. Well, pretty much everything that is not mashed potatoes and gravy."

Another nod.

"Oh and just yesterday Amy, a friend of mine, wrote me how she and Luke and Toby went to Emma's house to play DDR. I was so jealous."

"Well, they can't turn a teakettle into a turtle" Saeko said in mild humor, "What is DDR anyway?"

The brunette seemed to calm down a bit "DDR stands for Dance Dance Revolution - it's a dance videogame. I think it's from Japan actually. It's fun!"

Saeko was intrigued but didn't let it show. She did quite a bit of research on Japan so she wouldn't be questioned about Konoha but this naturally didn't come up. Instead she directed the conversation towards something she could talk about – manga and anime. When a muggleborn first year accosted her the first month in, calling himself an otaku, despite the slight pejorative tone of the word as she later found out, she made her goal to learn more about the country everybody thought she was from and found out she liked it - she even got some volumes delivered.

"I have these bouts of homesickness once in a while, I'm glad I'm not the only one" Faith concluded.

"Nah. I think most people have them. I imagine it's far worse for the muggleborns though. The culture is very different – I guess much of it comes from the longer life expectancy of magicals" Saeko mused.

Faith nodded and said bitterly "And the fact that Hogwarts has not changed in hundreds of years"

"I'm a traditionalist. Back home I wouldn't change a thing" the Uchiha reminded her date.

"And here?" the bustier brunette asked.

Saeko shrugged "It's not my place. Plus there is the fact that magicals have to do things with magic only since technology goes, as you eloquently put it before, kaboom."

Faith pouted but acquiesced.

Saeko smiled softly "You know, you are kind of adorable when you rant."

XXX


	24. 2- 24 Brace Yourself, Spring Is Coming

**AN: **_Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites I recieved lately, they always make my day :-)_

_ps: reviews are great too *hint, hint*_

* * *

><p><strong>*Brace Yourself, Spring Is Coming*<strong>

"Hey" Saeko greeted Helena who was reading in the Common Room near an open window.

"Hey" the blonde replied, raising her half-empty teacup, her eyes never leaving the page.

The kunoichi grinned at her friend's antics. Seeing no more conversation would be held the kunoichi jogged up the stairs that led to the girl's dorm rooms. Once in her room she changed her clothes while humming a tune she heard somewhere but couldn't really place. Finally she perused her collection on books and selected a sci-fi volume that came heavily recommended by her roommate.

Saeko walked back to the common floor still humming, feeling surprisingly social. Finding the armchair nearest to Helena still unoccupied she plopped down with a contented sigh and opened the thick paperback.

When the Uchiha found she could not really concentrate on the book she decided to bug her friend "Hey, where is everybody?"

Helena finished the paragraph she was reading, much to Saeko's chagrin, but answered "Little dirt-digging duo is off god-knows-where and Caitlin is at the quidditch pitch with the boys. It looks like the only year-mates around are Michelle and her posse, lucky us."

The brunette turned to see the curly-haired muggleborn with her friends, all gushing over some actor's photo. Saeko chuckled "Yep. At least I got you."

"Oh really now? What would Faith think?" the Brit teased, looking at her friend for the first time during their exchange.

Saeko couldn't help but grin but said nothing.

"Come to think of it, weren't you meeting her today?" Helena remembered.

The ninja eye-smiled "I did. We were by the Lake. It's a great day outside, you should really go out more. A nice april sunday, one of the first warm days in forever… it doesn't tempt you even a little?"

"Not really. I prefer to stay indoors, thank you very much. Besides I wager it was not the weather that made you this cheerful." Helena paused, squinted and said suspiciously, "Unusually cheerful."

Saeko merely hummed. The blonde closed her book and leaned forward "Do tell!"

"Let's just say she shares my interest" the scarred brunette said with a grin.

"Come on, tell me. I even put aside my very interesting book for you!" the blonde pled.

"I kissed her" the kunoichi said quite smugly.

Helena let out a whistle "Aces!"

"Yeah" the ninja concurred, tad dreamily.

"So? How, when, details!" the blonde urged.

Saeko leaned back in her chair with a smile "She was being adorable so I just kissed her on the cheek, just a brush of lips. She was receptive and taunted if that was meant to be a kiss so I kissed her fully."

"Congrats! Will there be a repeat? Are you dating her?" Helena asked excitedly.

The brunette smiled at her friend's uncharacteristic behavior "We haven't discussed that yet but yes, I think so. We kissed some more and then we left – it is almost dinner-time after all."

Helena cast tempus and nodded "Right. We should head down. I'm sure the others will find a way to extract more information out of you."

"Can't wait" Saeko murmured sarcastically even though her great mood was unchanged.

XXX

**Saeko**** and Ashley's Room**

The three girls were hanging out in their dorm since it was literally pouring outside, each doing her own thing – Helena was reading. Ashley was strumming her guitar and Saeko was so bored she unsealed a couple of kunais and juggled them with one hand.

After a while the jounin selected one from its infinite loop and threw it at the wooden door. The next one landed slightly lower and to the side. Saeko smiled and proceeded to make a pattern – the Uchiha fan.

"You know that was dangerous" Helena remarked airily.

"Hn" said the Uchiha and went to collect her weapons. She cast _Reparo_ and the indentations in the wood disappeared.

"You totally hustled that dart competition a while back" the blonde smiled.

Saeko smirked "Yep. I did tell you to bet on me didn't I? But the darts were crappy in comparison to kunai."

Helena made a go on motion, interested in the foreign blade. Saeko showed her one of the kunais up close "A kunai is a strange weapon – both for throwing and not. It's perfectly balanced and razor sharp. You can conceal it easily, tie an explosive tag to it or use it as a dagger. Very popular back home, I passed my proficiency the first day of the academy."

"That really doesn't sound like Hogwarts at all. What else do you learn there?" the Brit asked.

"Usual stuff, like geography, history, math and so on. Also ballistics, trap-making, survival techniques, basic tracking and the Shinobi Code of Conduct. And naturally hand-to-hand, introduction to magic and shinobi tools" the ninja shared.

Ashley looked up from her instrument "Shinobi Code of Conduct?"

Saeko shrugged but answered "Rules like _'__A shinobi must always put the mission first__'_, _'__A shinobi must never show their tears_', '_A shinobi must see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings_', '_A shinobi must follow their commander's instructions__'_, '_A shinobi must prepare before it is too late to_', '_A shinobi must never show any weakness_.' They are very old but they serve us well."

"Harsh" Helena nodded, unperturbed.

Ashley frowned "You really are raised to be soldiers". _Killers_ was implied. "Is that why you don't seem to have PTSD?"

"Yep. We are all finely tuned sociopaths" Saeko said cheerily in provocation.

Neither girl talked for a few moments. Ashley finally broke the silence "It reminds me of the _agōgá in _ancient Sparta. Boys were raised in commune, prepared and conditioned to be soldiers. Even the girls were warriors – when their men were on the battlefield the wives were expected to defend the city and home."

"Cool" the scarred brunette smiled.

Ashley nodded and proceeded to lecture them about ancient Greece and their wizard society. Saeko listened, happy her pacifist friend came to terms with her occupation – who knew just a bit of history was needed. The ninja thought prudent not to mention the ways of the 'Bloody Mist' and actively contributed to the debate on schooling through the ages.

XXX

**Quidditch Pitch**

"Great job everyone!" Jamie shouted, ending their training. The chaser pointed her broom down and her team followed obediently.

As usual the team shared their insights about the training they just finished. The blonde chaser was particularly chirpy after today's performance. Rory was also in a great mood "Yup, we rule! We are gonna swoop down and take the lion down!"

"Ravens nor eagles would be capable of that" James rolled his eyes.

"Ok, us ravens will pluck the eyes of that freshly slain lion and build a nest out of his fur!" Rory corrected his statement.

Jamie made a face "That's disturbing. And not to mention fairly disgusting."

"And surprisingly accurate. Are you interested in biology?" Saeko asked with interest.

"Never mind. Way to kill my mood" the ginger huffed.

The captain sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose "Rory and his hobbies aside, good work everyone. We should start thinking up strategies against the Gryffindors so next training will be a more brainy one. If no one has anything I think we can finish for today."

No one spoke so everyone picked up their brooms and slowly made their way to the locker rooms. "Sweet!" the Uchiha grinned and tried to go at a faster pace.

"Hot date?" Wayne snickered.

Saeko looked over her shoulder and shot his a wicked smile "Yes actually."

"Oooo" the group chorused.

The ninja rolled her eyes with a smile "Oh shush you."

Jared began making kissy faces towards Frost who pretended to swoon. Even Saeko had to laugh.

"Is it official? Cause I haven't heard anything yet from the Hogwarts rumor mill" Rory asked.

"Well, hearing that will be definitely more pleasant then the gossip about me and White wonderboy. But yes, I'm going to meet my girlfriend, you jealous punks" the brunette smirked.

Both James and Frost opened their mouths to say something but Jamie was faster "Don't let us keep you then. Punctuality is important. But make no mistake, we are going to grill you on her later."

"I figured" Saeko shouted over her shoulder, already several paces ahead the rest of the team.

The group chuckled while Wayne shouted after her "And don't forget, too much tongue is not appreciated!"

"You would know!" was the prompt response.

"Buuurn!" Rory laughed at his friend who accepted defeat while the rest of the team laughed.

XXX

**Ravenclaw Dorms**

Saeko sat with her legs crossed before her large mirror which she already had to repair once from her marks of frustration. "Goddammit! Fucking _Disillusionment _charm. I'm an Uchiha, this should be natural for me!"

She took a deep breath and put her wand aside. It was not like her to lose her temper so she tried to calm down. When she succeeded she took the spell book back into her hand and studied the appropriate page once again.

The most frustrating thing, aside from the fact this was basically a genjutsu, was that she couldn't ask anyone to perform it for her sharingan. The professors would be too suspicious and it would attract too much unwanted attention, while not many students would know this spell, let alone cast it.

Her concentration was broken by a knock on the door "Uchiha, you there?"

"Come in Caitlin" the ninja shouted, giving up on the spell for today.

The red-head entered "Are in the mood for flying?"

"Hm, yes actually. You, Graham and Wallace are going to the pitch?" Saeko dusted her knees and got up.

Caitlin shrugged "Graham is with Peter doing that potions homework. Eddie is with his older brother somewhere."

"Potions? A bit last minute, Snape will not be pleased" the jounin chuckled, "Ok, I'll grab my broom."

"Cool" the Irish girl leaned on the door to wait for the brunette.

Saeko packed up her things and went to retrieve her broom, deeming her current clothes suitable for the activity.

The girls walked out in comfortable silence. Once out of the Tower Caitlin spoke up "Todd will not be organizing tryouts for the team next year, will she?"

"I don't know" the brunette answered, looking at her friend in contemplation, "I think she will not, especially if we win the Cup."

"Yeah, I thought so. You work well together" Caitlin smiled a bit sadly.

The brunette sighed "But you were hoping to make the team."

Caitlin shrugged "Indeed. Maybe not next year, but most definitely the one after. I'd like to play. It's frustrating the team is currently so young but hey, if the Ravens win, who am I to complain."

"You said once you'd like to play chaser right? Yeah, that's tough – Jamie is captain so that spot is out. But most likely she'll resign her seventh year. Rory and Wayne are fourth-years and have great synergy" Saeko mused.

The red-head chuckled "In other words forget about it."

"Well, maybe for now. In two years though…" Saeko trailed out.

"Ha. We'll see. I'm gonna train for it nonetheless" Caitlin shrugged.

Saeko grinned "Great! Though it's gonna be a mess – James, Jared, Rory and Wayne are all in the same year. The tryouts will be huge!"

"Yeah" the Irish agreed, "But there could be plenty of talent. Like the today's fourth-years."

"I guess but I still think it's going to a pain" the kunoichi grumbled.

Caitlin snacked her friend's shoulder "Lighten up Uchiha, we are going flying after all!"

"Hn"

XXX

**Great Hall**

Saeko was sitting among her friends, all of them laughing at what had quickly become the legendary duo of pranksters. Peter was mimicking the astonished look on one of the pranked Slytherins perfectly to go with the story. The kunoichi stopped laughing when a sleek-looking owl swooped over her head and dropped a letter in the brunette's lap.

"An owl delivery? That's new" Caitlin remarked.

"Yeah. Maybe it's from your lady-love?" Graham smirked.

The Uchiha merely chuckled and stored her mail in her belt. Saeko had noticed the British Ministry of Magic seal on the letter so she thought best to open it in private. To be honest she expected something similar to happen for months now – it would be strange for the minister not to exploit such a resource as Konoha ninja.

The group of Ravens teased the brunette for the perceived love-letter since Saeko adamantly refused to read it before them. Saeko played along while quickly finishing her meal. When she was done she took the letter out with a smile and waved them goodbye, ignoring the snickers from her friends.

Saeko jogged up to her room and opened the letter. When she finished reading she hummed, deep in thought. She was pleased with the tone of the letter, to be honest Minister Fudge didn't strike her as the respectful type. All in all the job looked easy – a simple espionage mission.

The Uchiha hummed one more time and bit her thumb for Kuchiose.

X

**Headmaster****'s Office**

Saeko approached the gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office. To her surprise the statue took one look at her and moved over with a slow nod. The girl jogged up and knocked of the heavy door.

As she was let in Saeko bowed "Good evening, Dumbledore-dono."

"Good evening Miss Uchiha. What can I do for you?" the old man smiled.

"I would like permission to leave the Castle for the week-end. Minister Fudge has a mission for me" Saeko explained.

Dumbledore lost his smile "I see. I was under the impression that any jobs would be handled by ninja other than yourself."

"Indeed, I will be calling a team but as the Konoha representative here I would like to be present. I will hear the mission parameters, formally accept, stipulate the payment and call the appropriate team or shinobi. A bit of politics, you understand" Saeko explained.

"I do" Dumbledore nodded, his twinkle gone, "Very well. As long as it does not interfere with your school work you may leave for the week-end."

The Uchiha bowed once more "Thank you Headmaster. May I use your fireplace for the trip to the Ministry? I would like to leave Friday after classes."

The old man nodded but then changed his mind "Maybe it would be better if I informed professor Flitwick. As the Head of Ravenclaw it would be more appropriate to go to him."

"Yes, I had planned to inform him of my absence anyway" the girl answered smartly.

Dumbledore smiled and reiterated his permission. As the kunoichi went to the door the Headmaster spoke up once more "No chance you will tell me what the mission is about?"

Saeko looked over her shoulder and smiled "You should know better Dumbledore-dono. Shinobi-client confidentiality. It would be very bad form."

The bearded headmaster just nodded, his twinkle back in his eyes "Of course. Good night miss Uchiha."

"Same to you sensei"

Saeko made her way back to the Tower. She smiled when she found her room empty. Unsealing a blank scroll and her brush she wrote a reply to the Minister and summoned Lykke to deliver it. When the albino raven took off she moved to her closet. It was only thursday but she was already thinking about her outfit for the meeting – she was there as the Konoha ambassador after all. The jounin uniform was a given but she was also toying with the idea of her Uchiha cloak – her brother used it over his ANBU uniform for the Council meetings. Finally she nodded as she looked it over – it made her look more noble and in charge, not just a grunt but a leader.

She was not nervous, she was excited about the meeting with the foreign representative – it was good Hokage training. She smirked as her score against Naruto went up some more.

'_Showtime_' she thought as she put the cloak back.

XXX


	25. 2- 25 Yellow-Green Showdown

_AN: sorry for the long wait - I´m writing my thesis and that kinda takes precedence..._

* * *

><p><strong>*Yellow-Green Showdown*<strong>

Saeko was reading a genjutsu study written by Yuuhi Kurenai when a seal on her arm began to twitch. She rolled up her sleeve and channeled chakra through the seal she was given by the Hokage and a summon obediently appeared in a poof of smoke.

"Uchiha-dono" the small monkey said.

The scarred jounin bowed slightly to the monkey and took the scroll she was handed. The monkey grinned and poofed away.

_Uchiha Saeko-kun,_

_Shirakumo Hayama__'s team had returned safely to Konoha, I just finished reading their reports. The mission was a success on all fronts. __You made quite the impression on both Hayama and the British Minister. Well done, the Hokage title would suit you well indeed. I look forward to your report._

_I hope you enjoy your studies as well as the castle,_

_Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha_

Saeko smiled at the praise. She knew she handled things well but this was a nice confirmation. She chuckled as she was being teased with the coveted Kage title once again.

She put the scroll into her nightstand and took up the genjutsu study once more. Saeko was quite a fan of Kurenai – a young jounin who specialized in illusions. Yuuhi was the only one who currently managed to excel in the art and was neither an Uchiha or Yakumo. Of course Itachi was far superior, hands down the best in Konoha, but he had quite the advantage in his eyes. The scarred girl had been surprised when she heard her colleague wished to teach more than anything else and applied to be a jounin sensei. Team 8 seemed to thrive, so good for her.

Some time later Ashley knocked once and opened the door. "We are going to lunch, you coming?" the smaller brunette asked and returned the book she was holding back on the shelf.

"Sure, I'm starving" the Uchiha smiled and sealed away her reading material.

Downstairs the roommates met up with the rest of their little poker group and went to the Great Hall.

As they filled their plates the young Ravens discussed the big Herbology assignment they received the day prior. Daniel grumbled that the homework was individual to which Helena readily agreed. Saeko shrugged "Many pairs in Herbology are cross-House. Sprout-sensei wishes to keep it so."

"I guess" the bespectacled boy frowned, "It's still a pain, right Grey?"

"Hm?" Helena asked, "Sorry, I wasn't listening. Look over there – it seems Michelle got something right for once". The group promptly looked to see. The blonde quickly smacked Graham who was sitting beside her "Not all at once idiots!"

"Could you at least tell us what are we looking for?" Ashley whispered while trying to inconspicuously look behind her.

Helena rolled her eyes "Gossip queen said White was dating some Gryff girl. He's right over there, trying to eat her face."

"Not bad" Saeko remarked, studying the girl.

"She's a third-year right?" Caitlin asked.

Helena shrugged "Don't know, I tuned my roomie out."

"Oh, please, you secretly love gossip" Ashley teased. The Grey heiress shot her a glare and rolled her eyes once again.

Peter smirked "I'm just surprised the Hogwarts rumor-mill didn't make it a big affaire like before. You remember Saeko, right?"

"It wasn't that bad" Saeko chuckled.

"Now they have you dating a Hufflepuff. That is actually true, right?" Graham asked.

Saeko's mouth was full of chicken so she eye-smiled and nodded. "Cool", was the reply.

"Speaking of gossip I heard the Head Girl is pregnant" Paddy shared.

"No way!" Daniel said in a perfect imitation of an American high-school girl.

When the group finished laughing Caitlin spoke up "I think it's bullshit, no way she's that dumb."

They proceeded to talk about various rumors as well as inventing some more for entertainment purposes. Saeko was grinning ear to ear because it reminded her of the Chuunin Lounge – but hey, as Faith put it, what else to do with no TV, internet and games…

* * *

><p><strong>West Tower Corridor<strong>

"Hey" Saeko said as she embraced Faith from behind.

The Hufflepuff jumped up, startled "Don't do that! I almost had a heart attack!"

Saeko chuckled "Gomen."

"I didn't even hear you approach" the bustier brunette said in reprimand.

"I have been told I can be quite stealthy. Ash calls me a ninja sometimes" the kunoichi smirked.

"With this long hair of yours I don't think so" Faith crossed her arms and grinned.

The Uchiha laughed at the irony "I have awesome hair and could totally make it work."

"I like your hair" Faith acquiesced, taking the thick black braid into her hand, "Is there a reason you keep it this long?"

"Not really, I just like it. Itachi, my brother, wears it long enough for a low ponytail. Maybe I didn't cut it out of hero-worship at first."

"His are not as long as yours, right? That would be kind of weird on a man."

Saeko snorted, picturing most of the Hyuuga clan in her mind "No, he doesn't. But my best friend has them as long as me - it's kind of traditional in his Clan. He can pull it off."

Faith squinted, trying to remember "That's Neji, right? Your best friend?"

"Yup, the one and, fortunately, the only. Come to think of it, many wizards keep their hair longish - most of Slytherin in fact. It has to be some pureblood thing."

"I noticed that too - the first-years always look girly" Faith smirked wickedly. "Speaking of Slytherin, will you watch the game with me?"

"I'd love to" Saeko smiled and pecked the Puff on her cheek.

The girls then spent the next half-hour discussing the Badger's chances against the Snakes. Faith also tried to pry some information on the anti-Gryff strategy Saeko's team was developing but was unsuccessful.

When the bell that signalized the end of the first period rang, both girls stood. Saeko asked "What did you say you have now?"

"Transfiguration" the third-year replied as she shouldered her bag, "With Slytherin actually."

"Good luck" Saeko smiled. The ninja then looked around the deserted corridor, finding it still devoid of life. Pleased by this fact she took Faith by her waist and kissed her.

Faith put her arms on her shoulders and used them to bring the two of them closer. The two girls stayed like this for quite a while, enjoying their deepened lip-lock.

When they finally separated Saeko gave the Puff one last chaste kiss "See ya". The Uchiha waved and hurried off to Charms.

* * *

><p><strong>Transfiguration Classroom<strong>

Professor McGonagall was clearly frustrated with today's interest in her class "Settle down! Don't make me say it one more time. I understand everyone is anxious for tomorrow's match but it is still Saturday morning and we are not on the pitch."

The Slytherins reluctantly calmed down but there still was whispered discussion among them. Graham murmured to the Raven side of the classroom "I don't know why are they so excited about it – the best result would be them winding up in 3rd place in the Cup."

The blue-clad students chuckled a bit maliciously. Caitlin added to the whispered mocking "Quite a long fall from first place."

"How the mighty have fallen" chimed in Wallace.

The Ravens snickered again much to the Slytherin's annoyance. "Hey, care to say it out loud!" a tall boy said angrily, Saeko recognized him as Cassius Daly.

"Calm down or I will drown you in homework till next Yule" McGonagall said, her patience quickly waning.

"We'll get you next year, just you wait. Especially you Uchiha, you are going down!" a girl hissed.

Saeko looked at the blonde with a salacious smirk "I won't cheat on my girlfriend, but thanks for the interest."

The blonde was confused but as two boys near her began snickering she realized it was an insult. She went to retaliate but was cut off by the transfiguration professor "Uchiha, detention! How vulgar, I would've expected more from you. You as well miss Gallaher. Come to me after class. Such insubordination" she muttered the last part.

The kunoichi nodded. When the Scot turned to the blackboard she looked at the Slytherin queen bee and provocatively licked her upper lip. Most of the boys who saw it erupted in laughter while Aurora went bright red from anger and embarrassment. From the corner of her eye Saeko spotted Lauren who shook her head in mock exasperation while hiding a smile.

"Homework it is then!" said the now furious teacher. "And 30 points from both Slytherin and Ravenclaw!"

The rest of the class went on in near silence as they learned to transform rabbits into slippers.

When the bell rang the students packed their things, a bit disgruntled the angry professor denied them points for their successful transfiguration. Saeko obediently went for her punishment while her friends waited outside the classroom.

"So?" Ashley asked as the Uchiha exited the room, Aurora Gallaher having stomped out only moments before.

Saeko smirked "Nothing much aside detention – language unbecoming a young lady such as me and so on. Honestly I'm surprised McGonagall knew what I meant so quickly, she looks so straight-laced. Oh well, who knows what she is into."

"Saeko!" Ashley exhaled in disbelief while the rest of the group laughed.

As they all went to the Ravenclaw tower they made fun of the Slytherins and snickered at Saeko's antics in the class. Saeko just thought to herself "_I read too much IchaIcha. Kami, Anko would be proud_."

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Stands<strong>

Saeko laughed out loud when she scanned the crowd to find her girlfriend – she and her group stood out quite visibly. As promised the two boys held up an enormous banner of a badger eating a snake. They clearly found someone to bewitch it since the two animals moved once in a while, the reptile clearly writhing in agony. The yellow jumpers, face paint and lipstick were back, what was new were some kind of horns that made loud booming sounds that could be distinctly heard even over the cheers of the crowd.

The Ravenclaw crept up to Faith, gently hugged her from behind and pecked her cheek "Yo!"

"What did I tell you about the ninja stealth!" Faith exclaimed when her heart rate came down.

Saeko rubbed the shoulder she was punched at by the startled brunette and grinned charmingly "Sorry. But it's just too much fun". Faith rolled her eyes but gave the Uchiha a peck on the lips nonetheless.

The kunoichi greeted the Puffs with a wave and a 'Hey' and made herself comfortable by hugging her girlfriend and putting her chin on the yellow-clad shoulder. "This alright?" Saeko asked. Faith merely hummed and relaxed in the Uchiha's arms.

When the commentator finally called the teams onto the pitch the Hufflepuff stands seemed to explode with sound. Saeko cheered loudly along the Badger fans, it was really quite exhilarating.

The quaffle was released and one thing was clear right away – the Snakes will be fighting dirty. Not even five minutes from the whistle Hufflepuff got its first penalty shot when Dennison fouled Carroll.

"Bloody wankers! Carroll, shove the quaffle up his arse, see how he likes it!" Serena shouted as she shot up from her seat next to Faith. Saeko chuckled – normally the petite blonde looked as threatening as a blueberry muffin but now she looked positively terrifying.

The game proceeded in a similar manner, Slytherin in the lead by few goals. Suddenly Fraiser, the Hufflepuff seeker, dived. The crowd went insane as Archer followed his counterpart and both flied side by side. Then snitch made a sharp turn and both players followed, Fraiser now in the lead. Saeko heard Faith hold her breath as the yellow-clad seeker stretched his hand, lying further down on his broom.

Abruptly Fraiser jerked back and shouted in outrage and frustration – Archer had caught the tail of the Puff's broom and pulled it back.

Saeko was astonished by the string of profanities that were shouted from all around her. The whistle resonated in the pitch as Madame Hooch called the foul. As the red-faced referee berated the Slytherin seeker the snitch vanished from sight.

Faith turned to the Ravenclaw beater and said through gritted teeth "Next game smash his face again, clearly he didn't get the message the first time."

Saeko forced back a grin and nodded. "Hey, is it me or that guy over there doesn't really make any sense?"

The smaller brunette looked where Saeko was pointing. The older-year was just shouting on the top of his lungs "He's brown bread!"

"It's cockney, don't think about it, it will just give you a headache" Faith shrugged. When Saeko pouted the Puff relented "Rhyming slang, among other things. Now shush, Mercer is going to take the first penalty shot."

Saeko complied but still listened to the broad-shouldered teen's words. Some of what he shouted was made clear by his tone – e.g. insults.

Mercer scored. When the final penalty shot was caught, Hufflepuff was in the lead. Archer and Fraiser circled the field, trying to spot the elusive golden orb.

The score climbed higher that all the previous games in the season. It was also the most foul-played game as the Hufflepuff beaters were less successful in keeping the Snakes away.

In a déjà-vu of sorts both seekers pointed their brooms down as one. The stadium watched on in an uncharacteristic silence as the duel unfolded. Both players were in full dive, the golden ball quickly nearing the ground.

The snitch was flying too low. Archer pulled up but Fraiser stubbornly went on. The yellow blur crashed unceremoniously. The Slytherin seeker hovered few feet up, eagerly looking for the snitch, smirking at his opponent's fate.

Madame Hooch quickly flied to Fraiser, clearly worried. Suddenly the Badger lifted himself on his knees and with wobbly feet stood up. Everybody was confused by his pained yet huge grin. His hand shot up in the air revealing the snitch.

The crowd roared. Amidst deafening cries the referee called the match in Hufflepuff favour. The result announced, Fraiser let himself fall to the ground once more, clearly unconscious.

This fact didn't dampen the yellow crowd in the slightest. Even Faith was on her feet, pointing at the Slytherin stands, yelling "Ha! Eat that you fuckers!"

Saeko had to shake her head at the almost Naruto-like maneuver that gave the Badgers their coveted victory over Slytherin. _Stubborn bastard_ she thought when her thought were interrupted by an eager, full-on kiss from Faith.

"We got them!" the smaller brunette cheered when she tore the Uchiha from the kiss.

"Congrats" Saeko smiled, a bit confused as to why third place is considered an accomplishment. She guessed it was the joy at leaving the most arrogant House in last place.

Sofia high-fived Abby "Now, this was a great game! Faith was complaining last time the wizards were too subdued while cheering."

"Oh?" Saeko asked, intrigued.

The busty Puff in the ninja's arms shrugged "Well, yeah. You should see the premier league football games! The atmosphere is so… wild, powerful, charged. I can't describe it. Hey, even school teams in the muggle world have a great following. Banner and face paint is only the beginning – they have mascots, cheerleaders, songs, flares and so much more."

"Do they now? Hm" Saeko trailed out, a glint in her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko gathered her friends, the quidditch team and Geoffrey. When they all settled down, still casting confused glances at each other, the Uchiha spoke with a wide wicked grin and a twinkle in her eyes not unlike Dumbledore "I have an idea…"

* * *

><p><em>AN: brown bread – bread - dead<em>


	26. 2- 26 Once More Unto the Breach

***Once More Unto the Breach***

The whole Ravenclaw quidditch team was tucked away in a corner of their common room, adding finishing touches to their strategy for the game against the Lions. When nothing more was to be discussed Jamie packed up her charts. Then she looked every player under her command in their eyes "So, this is it, one last hurdle to jump. One last team stands between us and the first Raven victory in ages."

"I confess I'm a bit nervous" Jared chuckled.

Saeko patted her partner's back "We'll get them. Slytherins were more aggressive than the Gryffs are going to be, Puffs were more disciplined and inventive – all the Lions have going for them is desperation since for many of them this is the last season."

"True. I'm very confident in our victory. We have trained and we have planned and it's going to show" the blonde captain said in a soothing yet hard tone, "There is no point in analyzing it further. Now, you know the routine – get plenty of sleep, yadda, yadda. I'll meet you at the pitch an hour before the match."

The group nodded and dispersed. Saeko grinned at Jamie and waved her good night. The ninja then sought her friends. She found them playing cards near an open window.

"Hey" Saeko greeted and sat down on the carpet next to Daniel. Helena nodded and automatically dealt her in.

"Done preparing?" Graham asked.

Saeko shrugged "We are as prepared as we are ever going to be. And the preparations on your part?"

Caitlin, Ashley and Peter all grinned enthusiastically. The Irish said "Yer. Everybody is prepared. I heard more 'this is pointless' and 'this is lame' comments today but the vast majority is excited."

"Yeah, I was surprised about than since the exams are nearing and all" Helena remarked.

Peter chucked "When I was talking to a sixth-year he told me his girlfriend thinks him too nerdy. He's a big Chelsea fan in the muggle world, I think he wanted to do something like this before but didn't want to stand out too much on our stands."

"And now the whole House is in" Daniel smiled.

„Flitwick is on board too. And quite enthusiastic about it" Ashley said, pleased.

"This is going to be fun!" Saeko grinned. Sometimes she was so glad she didn't have to uphold the Uchiha Clan image so hard in Hogwarts.

Peter nodded "Yup, Now we just need to win."

"Yeah, there is that" Saeko shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

The Ravenclaw quidditch team lined up before the entrance to the pitch, waiting for their cue. Everybody was silent, all that needed to be said was dealt with in the locker room. They were ready.

"_Today is the day ladies and gentlemen, the day it__'s decided who takes the Cup. We have two so far unbeaten teams, so who's it gonna be? The Ravenclaw Eagles who took us all by surprise and destroyed everything in their way? Or the Gryffindor Lions whose bravery and daring is legendary on the pitch? Let's find out! The big showdown beginssssss NOW!_"

"_Dressed in scarlet fly the LIONS! Let__'s welcome __Wood, Harewood, Weber, Pierce, Hansley, Cox aaand White!_"

The Gryffindor supporters screamed and clapped. White's fans were particularly vocal.

When the stadium quieted down the commentator continued with the introductions. "_If you didn't notice the sea of blue-clad fans, then look again because they are here to witness the EAGLES! McPherson, Todd, Martin, Gallaher, Bishop, Uchiha aaaand Frost!_"

The Ravenclaw team mounted their brooms and flew out to the pitch. Jamie was out first, the others quickly followed. As they hovered in formation before the referee they all took a moment to observe the crowd as the commentator spun the usual pre-game talks. This time his main focus was the Ravenclaw fans.

Ravenclaw students really went all out on this one. Encouraged by the quidditch team itself the whole House was determined to make a show, something to be remembered. For the first time in forever their team had a solid chance and they were all there to support them. There was not one person in the Ravenclaw stands who was not wearing blue. Face paint was so common it looked mandatory or part of the Raven uniform. Some loyalist, encouraged by the quidditch fever that gripped their House, went with body paint. One seventh-year stood proudly in the middle on the stands wearing only shorts while his body shone blue and bronze. Many other fans thought a wing pattern would be the most defining trait of their House.

Many ideas were plain bizarre. One such example would be the girl dressed as what was meant to be Rowena of Ravenclaw. Well, that is if Rowena of Ravenclaw had a huge sign '_Feed on my enemies, my ravens!_'. A few other students thought that hanging what looked like a lion carcass from their stands was amusing.

When the Ravenclaw team had made its appearance there were innumerable loud blasts, like guns being fired, and smoke - the telltale signs of the Avis charm. Ravens and eagles were shot out of their owner's wands and were now flying over the whole stadium, acting as mascots of sorts, adding their cries to the deafening sounds of the fans in blue.

James took one look at the birds in the sky and mumbled "I feel like in a Hitchcock movie."

"Awesome" Wayne grinned.

"It better be, I spent God knows how much time teaching firsties this spell that was so far out of their league. Looks like they got it in the end" Jared said, quite proud of his temporary students.

It took three sharp whistles from Madame Hooch to subdue the crowd. Finally the volume came down and the referee called for the captains of the respective teams.

When Jamie took Hansley's hand she unexpectedly cawed. The second caw was echoed by the Team. The third by the entire House. Soon nothing else could be heard aside the raven's caw. It really was quite impressive and a little bit intimidating.

The whistle resounded again and the ruckus died down. Madame Hooch spoke few quiet words to the captains and both players went back to their teams. The silver-haired witch looked up and nodded to herself when she saw most of the birds flew away or sat down on the various perches. She readied the quaffle, took one last look around to see if the players were ready, and she lunched the red ball. One sharp whistle later and the game was afoot.

Saeko tuned out the commentator, focusing solely on her job – to obliterate any opposition and protect her own.

Saeko sped up to catch one of the bludgers. Cox seemed to have the same idea but was thwarted by the ninja who passed it to Jared that used it to make Harewood miss catching the quaffle.

The second bludger flew towards Weber who ducked and let Hansley take care of it. With a loud bang the black ball came speeding towards Frost as a preemptive strike against the Ravenclaw seeker.

Being beater is the hardest job in the game – they have to be the most vigilant, their focus must not waver for a second or their teammate can get injured. They have to see everything that happens and be aware of everyone's position on the field. A hard job indeed but Saeko and Jared did it perfectly. Working in admirable harmony they managed to enable the chasers to give Ravenclaw a 40 point lead.

Once or twice Saeko sent the bludger towards White, just to make him lose focus. One of her shots nicked Leon's knee, Saeko smiled at his pained grimace, hoping she reduced his effectiveness.

Another notable moment was when the Uchiha yelled to her partner while passing the destructive ball "Target Kilo!"

Jared immediately spun, noticing that the quaffle was indeed in the scoring area and with a bone-shattering blow sent the bludger at Wood. The Gryffindor keeper had his eyes firmly on the quaffle and didn't notice the menace in time. Neither Cox nor Hansley were near enough to their home hoops, one being effectively blocked by Frost who heard the Uchiha's signal.

Wood blocked the quaffle but before he could throw it back to his teammates he caught the bludger right in his stomach. The keeper let out a loud 'oomph' and practically folded himself onto his broom which fortunately still kept its altitude. Jamie swooped under him and sped off with the red ball.

With Wood momentarily shaken the Gryff chasers had to compensate. Jamie and the rest wouldn't let them. The Eagle's advantage grew some more.

The Lions grew more desperate, Hansley and Cox in particular. The beaters tried desperately to regain the balance by knocking the Ravens off their booms or something similarly drastic. Jared managed to cover Frost. Rory wasn't so fortunate, the bludger impacted his shoulder. He cried loudly as he cradled the injured arm.

"Fuck" Saeko murmured and pointed her broom towards the chaser. She stopped him from taking off and looked over his shoulder "It's dislocated. I've done this before, don't pass out."

"Wha…" Rory began but his question was cut short by another pained cry as the ninja popped his shoulder back into its socket. "Bitch that hurt" he mumbled finally, slightly dazed.

"Sorry" Saeko replied dryly, "Now try not to use the arm much and after we win get checked by Pomfrey. Thank me later, I have to go." Going back to the fray the brunette was thinking of a way of making clear such injuries were not to be left unpunished.

A chance presented itself when Cox stole a bludger from the Uchiha. She turned the broom rapidly, her braid smacking the enemy beater right across his face.

"Aaargh!" Cox screamed, dropped his bat as his hands shot to his nose, blood flowing.

"FOUL!" the scarlet fans shouted. Madame Hooch seemed to agree as she blew the whistle.

As the referee approached both parties Saeko put on her most innocent face "My apologies, I didn't realize my hair was so long."

Jamie chuckled in the background. Rory was smirking in glee at his now bleeding attacker. In the end the Ravens had to suffer one penalty shot but it was well worth it. Especially when James caught Pierce's shot.

The game continued on, wilder than before.

The Ravens had clear point advantage but were nowhere near 150 so White became the main point of interest, the main obstacle. Jamie decided to lower the threat level and ordered viciously "Blacken Sierra!"

Her beaters obeyed and soon both bludgers targeted the poor red-clad seeker, who had to make a sloth grip roll to avoid the danger. Saeko and Jared didn't relent and once again a black ball came speeding towards Leon. Hansley arrived just in time to save his seeker but not to avoid the surprisingly hard quaffle into his ribs, courtesy of the quick thinking Wayne.

White didn't even thank his captain as he spotted the only thing that could save his team – the golden snitch. He speared through the air towards his goal. It only took moments for the players to realize what was going on.

"Blockade!" was shouted by multiple sources, this scenario anticipated and thoroughly trained.

All the Ravenclaw players swooped onto White like birds of prey, forcing him to alter his trajectory several times, finally effectively blocking him from doing anything.

The plan was to halter Leon and let Frost end the match but the Gryffindors proved themselves worthy adversaries. Both bludgers and three players prevented Jerry to catch the elusive orb.

The snitch had been lost, the danger averted so the players returned to their usual duties on the pitch.

It wasn't until later the golden ball was spotted again. The Gryffs evidently took the previous lesson to heart and all three chasers blocked Frost from continuing towards the snitch. Ravenclaw's own chasers trying to get him free.

Jared sent his bludger flying towards White and hurried to body-block the nearest Gryffindor beater. Leon easily dodged the black ball, having expected it.

As she chased White Saeko had a fleeting thought how easy it would be to shot a katon jutsu and incinerate the opposing player. Deciding that a tiny bit of cheating wouldn't really hurt anyone she activated her sharingan. The crimson eyes easily anticipated both the positions of the snitch and the bludger that actually tried to target her.

Saeko took careful aim and with a mighty, definitely chakra enhanced, blow she sent the bludger flying at her carefully calculated trajectory. A surprisingly clear _ting_ was heard as the bludger crashed into the snitch, making it to alter its course and heighted its speed.

White's hand fell back onto his broom, his jaw damn near following – in a nice snooker effect Saeko had stolen the golden ball right under his nose.

Frost was flying low, few inches above the grass. He successfully escaped from the near brawl that was happening between the chasers when James abandoned his hoops to come to his aid. He was just about the join the golden race when Saeko did her maneuver. He was astonished but didn't let shock harm his opportunity.

As the snitch came barreling down the seeker flew up.

Jerry's hand enveloped the golden orb.

They won.

…

…

It took few beats for the crowd to comprehend what just happened but then the blue-bronze mass erupted in cheers. When Madame Hooch announced the Raven victory their fans got even louder – cheers, shouts, whistles, clapping, horns blowing bonded with the cries of the spooked birds that hastily fled, making the noise near deafening.

The Ravenclaw team had landed, hugging each other in exhilaration. "We won!"Wayne shouted as he jumped up and down.

Rory was laughing, the happiness making him forget about the pain in his shoulder "That we did!"

"Congrats Jamie, first year captain and victory right of the bat!" Saeko grinned as she embraced the blonde.

The chaser grinned back, but quickly grimaced "Ouch!"

"A busted lip, I hadn't noticed" the Uchiha frowned, not liking failing at her job which right now was protecting her team. "Hold still."

Jamie raised her eyebrow but obeyed "You were too busy with White and damn that was amazing – pity I didn't really see it. Pierce elbowed me, it's nothing, I'll go to Pomfrey later."

Saeko unsealed her wand and took her captain's chin in her hand "Episkey."

"You brought your wand to the pitch?" Jamie asked, confused, as her fingers brushed her now perfectly healed lip.

The ninja shrugged "As long as I don't use it in the game it's allowed. I don't like being unprotected."

"Well, thanks" Jamie smiled.

"Hey, can you fix me too or do I have to be a pretty girl?" asked Rory with a smirk.

Before the brunette could answer Dumbledore and the beaming Flitwick stepped onto the grass of the quidditch pith, making them all grin. Everyone's eyes zeroed onto the golden trophy the headmaster was holding. The crowd went silent as the duo and Madame Hooch approached the winning team.

The referee smiled at the Eagles and announced the ranking of all the Hogwarts House teams. Loud snickers could be heard as she placed Slytherin last. Gryffindor's second place was met by half-hearted clapping of its fans, still dejected at their loss. And finally Ravenclaw, the victors.

Dumbledore handed over the big trophy to Jamie, the twinkle in his eyes prominent. The blonde thanked the headmaster and with a huge smile she raised it over her head.

The crowd erupted once again. All the Ravenclaw students also picked up their wands once more to shower their team with blue and bronze sparks. Some also lighted up fireworks and flares in their House colors. Professor Flitwick made a complicated gesture with his wand and a giant bird made of blue light appeared. The bird cawed and took flight, circling the entire field. Not stopping there the next winged form shone bronze. Both avians chased themselves on the pitch.

The cheers were never-ending. When Madame Hooch and the headmaster left the field the Ravenclaw fans bursted onto the field and enveloped their heroes. After a short discussion among the older-years the team was lifted onto shoulders and carried back in the castle. Even Flitwick hitched a ride since two sixth-years hoisted him up despite his squealed initial protest.

* * *

><p><strong>Next day<strong>

Saeko woke up and immediately regretted it. She felt like that one time after a mission she had with Anko and was persuaded to celebrate its completion by going drinking. The fact she let herself go a little was quite a tell she felt comfortable at Hogwarts. Just in the last meeting/spar with her brother she expressed her eagerness to go back to Konoha for a while, craving action. Yesterday's quidditch match sated that desire for a while.

The party had been amazing. Saeko soaked in the adoration. Everything started going a little blurry when the muggle beer run out and harder drinks were opened. By general consensus the Team had to have the best stuff, whether they liked it or not, which meant top notch firewhisky, courtesy of a sixth-year whose father was the brewer. It tasted amazing, she had to remember to bring some back to Konoha as a present.

Saeko looked at the time and groaned. Yesterday might've been a big day but today was still Monday, with all the undesirable side-effects like school. First period DADA with the Gryffindors. Bloody brilliant.

With great effort the ninja got ready and dragged herself downstairs. Most of the House, eg those who had lessons first period, was there, sitting or lying in various state of dishevelment. From what it looked like every Raven decided to skip breakfast. Saeko briefly wondered what the professors and the other students thought.

Saeko went to join her friends. All of them clearly imbibed last night, some more than others. "Ohayo, ready to brave Defense?" she asked.

Half-hearted nods were their answer.

Daniel yawned "At least we have a free period after it. We can do it."

"The worst part is that I don't even have the energy to flaunt our victory before the Gryffs" Graham said while rubbing his eyes.

The Uchiha whined "Kami, I promised Faith we would meet in the free period before lunch! I have to get out of it, I want to sleep."

"Tough" Helena said quietly, holding her face in her hands.

Caitlin resolutely stood "Come on, we have class. And stop complaining! We won the Quidditch Cup. It also means nobody is stealing the House Cup from us this year. Be grateful and zip it!"

"Yay" Peter said dryly but obediently stood up. The rest of the group followed with small smiles on their faces.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Kilo – K – keeper; Sierra – S – seeker, just to be clear. And blacken, well, the bludgers are black…<em>


	27. 2- 27 Total Recall

***Total Recall ***

Saeko just came into the Ravenclaw tower laden with books from the library, thinking that the tower guardian gave harder question just before exams. She headed to the stairs to deposit her reading material in her room when she noticed Jamie Todd sitting on the carpet near an open window, looking completely out of her mind.

The ninja approached her captain as she would a wounded animal "Jamie? What did that book ever did to you?"

"Wha-?" the blonde looked up. At Saeko's raised eyebrow she looked back down at the book she had been nearly ripping apart. "Oh."

"I guess asking whether you are nervous would be redundant?"

Jamie dropped the volume and began to hyperventilate "What was I doing, I should've forgotten about quidditch and concentrated on the exams. OWLs, it's OWLs! Man, what does a match matter, I'm not even going pro! Now I don't know anything, God, I'm going to fail!"

Saeko chuckled "I'll take that as a yes. Calm down Jamie, just take a deep breath."

"How can I? I'm doomed!" said the fifth-year in absolute panic.

"You most definitely are not. All the knowledge is in your head, I know it, you are just too freaked out right now so it feels like you don't know anything. If you would just calm down… Like before a match, take a deep breath. And NEWTs are the important exams anyways" Saeko said soothingly.

The blonde shook "That may be true but it's the OWLs that enable you to take the subjects for NEWTs."

"Meh. Anyway even if you didn't know everything already, and you DO, you still have plenty of time. I know you can't help being nervous but always remember you are your year's number eight for a reason" the kunoichi said in encouragement.

"How do you know about that?" Jamie's head shot up.

Saeko rolled her eyes at the stupid question "The score boards are on public display. And Frost might've mentioned it. How about a nice cup of tea to calm your nerves?"

"Are you gonna raid Helena's stash?" Jamie finally smiled.

The brunette laughed "I could, but I was thinking I could take you to the kitchens. Hm, how cool a friend am I?"

"You know how to get there?" the chaser asked in disbelief.

"Sure do, but try to keep it on the down low. Come on, take your books into your room and meet me here. I promise tea, chocolate and maybe a drop of Baileys – that is true Zen" Saeko winked.

Jamie smirked "Yeah, because alcohol helps so much when studying. But yeah, ok, I'll take you up on that. Being away from books for a while might prove beneficial."

"That's my girl!" the Uchiha smiled and stood up.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

"Wand movement and incantation for the Freezing spell" Saeko said as she held the appropriate textbook.

Faith smiled, she knew this one "Glacius, wave and point to target."

"Yup" the ninja smiled and closed the book, "And that's it, no more quizzing, you are going to nail it."

The Hufflepuff went to protest but at Saeko's glare she just closed her mouth again and nodded. She took her textbook back and put it in her bag. Sighing she leaned on the kunoichi "I'm nervous. How come you are not?"

Saeko kissed Faith's temple lightly "I don't want to sound arrogant but I know everything that can possibly come up in the exams."

"Yep, that does sound a bit arrogant. Is that why you never asked me what the exams looked like last year for me?" the Brit looked up at her girlfriend.

"Hm" the Uchiha hummed and closed her eyes, "Why don't you tell me now?"

"Should I bother?" Faith smirked.

The scarred girl pouted "Yes, please."

Faith let out a short laugh "Since you asked so nicely. Flitwick wanted the _arresto momentum_ in the practicals as well as the _engorgio_ charm and its reversal. Potions was all about the sleeping draught. McGonagall asked for _Vera Verto_ – bird to goblet, that's cruelty on animals if you ask me."

Saeko chuckled since the Puff wasn't really upset. Faith smiled and continued "Don't remember Herbology much but we had to repot something and care for it. Fluxweed maybe. I have no idea what Bangasé will ask since your curriculum differs greatly from our second year."

"And History?" Saeko asked.

"Vampires. Oh and Goblin rebellions… volume 2" Faith rolled her eyes.

The ninja gasped, her hand flying dramatically to her heart "NO! Really? I would've never guessed."

"Hey, you asked!" Faith smacked the Raven's shoulder. "Oh, and I can't remember Astronomy in the slightest."

Saeko waved her hand in dismissal "I know and can perform everything you listed, I'm going to be fine. As will you."

Faith was unsure but smiled at the compliment. Deciding to change topics slightly she asked "Did you fill the application for the electives yet?"

"Hai. All of us gave it to Flitwick already. I went with Runes and Care for Magical Creatures" the taller brunette replied, "To be honest, the rest looked a bit useless."

"Are you insulting my Divination?" Faith said in mock annoyance.

"Oh hell yeah!" Saeko exclaimed with a grin.

Both girls laughed like mad – making fun of that particular class seemed like Faith's favorite hobby as of late. Saeko actually met professor Trelawney in the hallway once, a subtle odor of sherry following her.

"Why did you take it in the first place?" the kunoichi inquired.

Faith shrugged "Momentary lapse in sanity? It sounded cool at first ya know, to see the future."

The raven-haired teen nodded in understanding – it would be indeed cool. She frowned "I really don't get why it's even a subject here. If you don't have the Sight or whatever, you can't use it."

Faith put her head on Saeko's shoulder and sighed "Tradition, as always."

The duo spent the next few minutes in silence, enjoying their proximity. They watched as some Gryffindor fourth-years feed the giant squid while laughing loudly.

After a while the Puff straightened up "I need to go, we are doing some group reviewing."

"You don't really need it. Come on, your friends can handle it without you" Saeko batted her eyelashes.

Faith snorted in laughter "Alright, just stop doing that ridiculous face. Please."

Saeko kissed her girlfriend's neck lightly "Thanks."

"That's it? What can you offer me in return?" the Hufflepuff crossed her arms in teasing.

"I can think of something" the Uchiha grinned and leaned to kiss the smaller brunette.

Faith smiled, whispered "That'll do," and met the ninja halfway.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower after exams<strong>

"So that's it" Ashley sighed and let herself fall on one of the sofas in the common room.

Helena and Saeko followed, the Grey heir much more properly. "And now we have the week off. I hope I'll see more of Faith since I will be incommunicado the whole summer as usual."

"What are you doing for the holidays Helena? I won't bother asking you James Bond" Ash said while making herself comfortable on the sofa.

"What?" the Uchiha asked, not sure what her friend meant.

Helena snorted in laughter. Ashley looked over the blonde, clearly surprised the pureblood caught the muggle reference "He's a fictional secret agent. Something akin to a spy."

"Oh" Saeko said and nodded in understanding.

"Anyways I'm staying at home I guess. Father may take me to Vietnam or China but other than that nothing much. Oh and my cousin or whatnot will be visiting for a few weeks – he studies at Beauxbatons" Helena frowned.

The raven-haired teen was intrigued "Does it differ much from Hogwarts?"

"Not really. I know their exams are a bit different and they have more electives. Pity we don't have fencing here" Helena sighed wistfully.

Ashley squinted "I know you fence, but nope, I don't see it."

"I do" the Uchiha smiled, "You've got ideal built for it. It's a pretty sport."

"By your slightly disdainful tone you don't consider it a form of combat" Helena asked already anticipating the response. Her guess would be spot on since the ninja laughed with great gusto.

Helena chuckled, not offended in the slightest "And you Ashley? Your summer?"

"Mine and Peter's parents are going back to Chile for a dig so South America we go. Fortunately mum won the argument with grams or I would be stuck in England" the shorter-haired brunette grinned.

"Cool" Saeko remarked.

Ashley nodded, her eyes bright "Yep! I hope I could dad will teach me some runes, we should see plenty of them in the various digs and stuff. I can already read some but never did their practical application."

Before more could be said Caitlin and Edward approached the trio. Wallace asked "So how was it? Cause I might've botched it."

"Well-" Saeko started but Caitlin interrupted "Please don't answer. Everybody knows you are most likely getting the Number 1 again."

"Hn. Then you shouldn't have asked" the raven-haired huffed, secretly very pleased.

They spent an hour debating the entirety of the exams they just finished. Ashley finally stood "I'm going to take a nap. Saeko, would you please wake me for dinner?"

"Sure. I think I'm gonna go for a run. I neglected my training slightly during the exams. I want to be in to shape before the holidays" the Uchiha thought out loud.

Graham smirked tad lewdly "For your swim suit?"

"Hm, yeah, let's go with that" Saeko smirked while Ashley and Helena laughed at the thought of the ninja fighting in bikini.

"You should write Faith" Helena said to Saeko who stood up to change in her room.

"Thanks Cupid" the Uchiha shouted and waved.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

The whole Ravenclaw table was buzzing in excitement. They all noticed the decorations that were all in their House's colors, along with the large banners that depicted a bronze Eagle. As they all waited for the big announcement and the start of the feast the students talked about the usual things – holiday plans, sports, what to expect next year and so on. The third years of the most scholarly House were particularly interested since they were to be introduced to their new subjects.

Finally Dumbledore rose from his seat and smiled at his students. The Great Hall quieted itself down to hear the headmaster's speech. "Another school year ends. Most of you will return, hoping to learn just a bit more, while some will head towards their futures and new adventures. We had a great year together and I can only hope your summer will be as well."

"Now, there is one last thing before we can stuff ourselves on our delicious feast and that is the House Cup. This year has seen some fierce competition and the results show it. On fourth place we have Gryffindor with 426 points!"

Polite clapping ensued. The process was repeated with the third and second place announced. Then the moment everybody was looking for came "And finally, our winners – Ravenclaw with 492 points to their name!"

A thunderous applause resonated through the Great Hall. Cheers and hoots morphed into their now signature caw as all the Ravenclaw students rejoiced at their victory. They cut it short and continued with laughter. Even professor Flitwick joined in the festivities, as his fellow Head of Houses congratulated him. It looked like the repeat of the blue-bronze quidditch success. Quidditch was the thing that held them back, their finishing last or second to last cost Ravenclaws many victories.

Amidst the cheering Saeko found the time to smirk at her only Slytherin friend. The whole Slytherin House was making a show of clapping, no one really happy – they were not often bested after all. Snakes were very good in academics – that combined with their victories in the school sport gave them the Cup their last several years. But not this year. Even their second place was hard won – Lauren confessed that professor Snape made quite the effort to give them points as well as subtract them from the other Houses to balance the difference in points.

The volume rose for the last time as the Charms professor accepted the Hose trophy with a grin that made him look much younger. One moment later and the food appeared.

Even Saeko smiled at the British food in front of her. Her fellow year-mates noticed. "Ooo? Our food is good enough for you this time?" Ashley teased.

The Uchiha gave an almost royal nod and filled her plate with green beans. Peter smirked "Well, if it satisfies even miss-number-one-in-our-year it must be special."

"Hn" was Saeko's reply as she made a motion for the potatoes to be passed, "I will survive one last day of this."

The rest of the feast they spent chatting about everything and anything, not bothering with goodbyes yet since they agreed to sit together on the train back to London.

When all food was eaten the group slowly rose, mindful of their overstuffed bellies. As they entered the corridor Caitlin whined "I still have to pack."

Murmured agreement was the most common reply – only Helena, Daniel and Saeko smirked, their luggage already waiting for tomorrow's departure. Saeko spoke up "My pack is ready so I'm going to meet Faith for a while since I'm staying with your sorry asses on the way back. Ja ne!"

The Brits just grumbled as they dejectedly made their way to Ravenclaw Tower to pack a whole year of stuff into their trunks

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's so unfair that Saeko and her friends just finished school and the rest of us are starting. Can someone hate and envy her own fictional character or it<strong>'<strong>**s too weird**?**


	28. 2- 28 Snowy Holidays

_**AN:** Sooo, I received two more reviews lately and it really made my day. I mean really – I was grinning like a loon an entire afternoon. Keep them coming, even if they are short. Even if it's just 'good' or 'bad, change this' or 'explain'…_

* * *

><p><strong>*Snowy Holidays*<strong>

**Hokage Office**

"Hokage-sama, you called?" Saeko asked as she poked her head into the room.

Sarutobi pulled his pipe from his lips and smiled "Yes, do enter. I have a mission for you."

The Uchiha jounin entered the office fully. Spotting Kakashi leaning on the back wall reading his little orange book she waved in greeting. The tall ninja who appeared not be paying attention in the slightest waved back.

As the old leader cleared his throat both jounin snapped at attention before his desk "I have an A-rank for you in the Land of Snow."

Before the Hokage could continue Saeko whined "Land of Snow? Hell no! I wanted to soak up the warmth and sunshine not freeze my ass off in Yuki no Kuni!" Both men looked at her in surprise, it was not like her to be so disrespectful. Realizing what she said the Uchiha bowed her head in apology "My apologies. I'm not so fond of the cold and my last mission was… chilly."

Sarutobi chuckled "Understandable Saeko-kun. Will you accept the mission?"

"Of course Hokage-sama" the girl said, still ashamed by her outburst.

"Your mission will be protecting the actress Fujikaze Yukie as she and her crew while they film their new movie. Her manager anticipates danger and was willing to pay for an A-rank. Kakashi was in the Land of Snow before so he will be leading the team. I also wanted to send another jounin if the level of danger is really as high as Sandayu-san fears. Team 7 will be tagging along" the elder elaborated.

Saeko arched her eyebrow "Where is Team 7 then?"

"I sent them to see the client's movie" Kakashi said in his bored tone.

"Oh, and why not me?" the girl pouted.

"I was told I would have another jounin, not who it will be. Do you want to see the movie?" the masked shinobi asked.

The Uchiha smiled flirtatiously "I'm flattered but I actually prefer the ladies."

"So I heard" Kakashi said in his usual tone but one could practically hear him smirk.

Sarutobi cleared his throat "Back to business. The client's ship leaves this evening but 'Princess Gale' is reluctant to go to Snow. He has some stuntmen to chase her down but they might need help. Sandayu-san is currently staying at the studio of their last movie. Any questions?"

"No Hokage-sama" said the two jounins and went to leave.

The elder called after them with a smile "Dress warm!" He had to chuckle at the girl's growl he got in response.

* * *

><p>Saeko was waiting by the ship, all packed up and ready to go. Enjoying the last opportunity for summer weather she leaned on the nearby lamppost and begun sunbathing. The crew and some workers passed her by, loading up the vessel - a great view since she didn't have to do anything right now.<p>

Seeing the pink hair that signalized Sakura the brunette sighed and went to greet her team for this mission. The rest of the squad emerged and Saeko did a double-take. It looked like their charge was knocked out as Kakashi carried her over his shoulder while still reading. The Uchiha smirked "Reluctant indeed."

The team boarded the ship while Naruto talked endlessly about his idol turned bitch. The blond was quite scandalized upon learning the Uchiha had not seen any of the Princess Gale movies. To change the subject Saeko asked about how they ended up with the actress. It was the pink-haired genin who answered "I drugged her while Naruto-baka was pestering Yukie for an autograph."

"Oh? So have you chosen your path? Medic, poison specialist or something along those lines?" the brunette asked with interest, knowing Sakura was the one without a specialization.

The girl smiled "Yes, I want to be a medic, preferably the field type. After the invasion there were so many injured and while I'm not skilled as you in the actual fighting I found out I could help too. I asked Kakashi-sensei and he said it's a good idea. He gave me some books and arranged training for me at the hospital. They said that if I make chuunin I should apply for permanent apprenticeship."

Saeko was happy for her teammate, it looked like she found her niche in life "That's great! You must have talent then. Well, your chakra control was always excellent so it does make sense."

The young medic beamed at the praise. Naruto, who was listening too, immediately begun to sing accolades to his Sakura-chan. When the girl in question begun to look irritated the jounin quickly asked "I was told that Team 7 will be here, where is Sai?"

"Don't know but Kakashi-sensei said he will be sitting this one out. Apparently he is apprenticed to someone" the blond chuunin frowned.

The scarred girl nodded, deep in thought – she and her brother had speculated one time that Sai must be a ringer, put on Naruto's team to keep a discreet eye on him. For Sarutobi that would be a bit underhanded but it must've been done to appease the council who was quite adamant in their fear of a rampaging Jinchuuriki.

* * *

><p>It was nearly evening when the ship captain made his final rounds. Seeing everything was loaded, everybody on board he called for his crew to set sail.<p>

When the vessel was quite far from shore, the port a distant dot, Kakashi joined his team on the deck. Saeko motioned him to join her. The tall man obliged, his lone uncovered eye fixated on the pages of Icha Icha. "Jiraiya-sama really should try to write a girl-on-girl version of that" said the brunette.

That sure got Kakashi's attention "Oh yes, I would definitely read that. Maybe you could try a hand at writing?"

"No way" the brunette shook her head. They stood in silence, watching the ocean when Saeko finally asked what was on her mind "Could you make a breakdown of your team's abilities? I am second in command and I know little."

The masked ninja closed his book and even put it away "I will skip Sai since he's of little matter for this mission. Sakura finally got some drive in her. She's training to be a medic and that is progressing nicely. Other than that I stressed the importance of taijutsu and weapons. I was thinking to push her a little towards genjutsu but you know my policy."

"Yes, you are looking for drive. No need to teach someone who is not interested. Are you waiting for her to ask?" Saeko asked.

"Yes. I was very happy when she told me about the healing" Kakashi nodded.

"I always liked this stance of yours even if others say it tends to get people killed. I'm a firm believer in making your own path. That's exactly why I don't like Jiraiya-sama's approach that much" the brunette confessed.

The silver-haired jounin nodded "That brings us to Naruto. I trained mainly taijutsu and when he expressed his delight over Kage Bushin I taught him the Kage Shuriken and Bushin Daibakuha. His trap-making skills are excellent on his own. I bettered his throwing skills and stressed the importance of chakra control."

"Yes, I've seen as much in the Chuunin exam. And Jiraiya-sama?" Saeko motioned to continue.

"Toad summoning – unadvisable in Yuki no Kuni though, some degree of control over his other chakra and the rasengan. He's studying seals now, I think" the man summarized.

Saeko frowned "This is exactly what I was talking about. Jiraiya does know he is not Namikaze Minato -his long dead student right? By the way did Naruto figure it out already?"

"No, Sarutobi-sama should tell him soon though. And if you had deduced his ancestry you should know the techniques Jiraiya-sama is teaching him are something like his birthright" Kakashi focused his lone eye on the brunette.

"Yeah, I know. But it is too much copycat for me. No offence" Saeko smirked at her bad pun.

Kakashi merely eye-smiled and they begun discussing the mission and the Land of Snow – mainly Saeko pumping her superior officer for information since he had been there before.

* * *

><p>It was immediately the next day when some fake scenery was erected on the deck so the film crew could shoot the movie even during the transit.<p>

A bit of a snag was when the main star woke up discovering she was on her way to Snow. Yukie was very, very displeased and made it quite known. Despite that when she was before the camera she literally transformed into a completely different woman – Princess Gale.

Since their charge had nowhere to run the Leaf shinobi were pretty much free to do whatever, provided at least one of them kept an eye out, just in case of a marine attack.

After several days the change in climate begun to be more than noticeable and soon ice could be spotted flowing in the water. Saeko kept her standard Konoha jounin uniform on but she donned a long crimson coat over it and a black scarf – her favorite colors. She also considered them Uchiha colors so she had them out of pride, especially since she passed on her clan's crest.

When an enormous iceberg came into view the director and the cameramen were beyond ecstatic for the perfect scenery. Soon everything was set up and the crew begun working on the movie. Kakashi set up a perimeter and instructed his team to be alert.

During the scene when the villain first confronted the main character an explosion occurred. It was clear that it was not part of the film and the Leaf shinobi immediately went to Yukie's side.

Three enemy ninja appeared on a nearby crest. They were dressed in weird looking armour and were looking down at the crew in disdain. The one who appeared to be the leader smirked "Welcome to the Land of Snow."

"Welcome princess" the biggest of them continued.

"Do you have the Crystal?" the sole female intoned.

Kakashi looked quickly towards Yukie, evidently knowing what this was about. Refocusing on the enemy he ordered "Sakura protect Yukie! Naruto, Saeko take them out. They have chakra armour, genjutsu is useless, ninjutsu tends to do no damage."

The enemy leader merely smiled "Hatake Kakashi, long time no see. Will you be fleeing like a coward this time as well? Fubuki, Mizore, take the brats out."

Taking it as dibs on the leader Saeko decided to try out the armour her sempai was talking about. She did quick hand seals and a huge dragon erupted from the water behind her "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

The Uchiha aimed the technique for the female enemy who escaped by spouting pink wings from her armour.

Saeko fought the woman while still keeping tabs on Yukie and the other fights – a difficult feat but she was a jounin for a reason. She had her bloodline active from the start so her opponent never did manage to surprise her. The Snow ninja were singular as they used the ice element – not the bloodline which could create the ice but they used the snow already in place. The brunette noted that Kakashi was already using the same jutsus as the enemy leader. She rolled her eyes – Copycat ninja indeed, he was even worse than her own clansmen in that regard. That said she too copied the novel techniques but stayed faithful to her much practiced style.

Using the plentiful water around them she had her opponent to retreat, taking her away from the client. Melting the Ice projectiles and other obstacles the Uchiha brought the fight to close quarters. It was clear she had the upper hand in taijutsu and as soon as she unsheathed her tantō, kenjutsu as well. Saeko managed to slash the woman's face – a wound similar to her own, just across the eye.

The female shrieked and immediately jumped back. The brunette went to follow but the Snow nin had her wings out again and flew from the Uchiha's range.

The Leaf kunoichi bit her thumb to summon her own pair of wings when she heard Kakashi's order to retreat to the ship. Saeko frowned but obeyed immediately. As the iceberg begun to shake she sped up. The civilians along with Yukie and Sakura were already aboard the vessel, the Konoha ninja were the last still out.

Checking if her team was okay with a glance she leapt on the deck and immediately sought Yukie. Naruto and Kakashi were just behind her. When everybody was aboard the captain issued his orders and put distance between them and the sinking ice.

"Everybody alright?" Kakashi asked.

His team nodded along with the director and manger. The jounin sighed in relief but then he eyed Sandayu and Yukie "You have some explaining to do."

The bespectacled man nodded and motioned for the ninja to follow him.

* * *

><p>In the meeting following the encounter with the enemy ninja the A-rank status begun to make much more sense. Saeko had to laugh at the dramatic story that unfolded around their client, it fitted the show business aspect of the mission. The story had everything: a real live princess whose throne was stolen by a greedy and evil relative, her father murdered, a legendary treasure, a brewing rebellion. The only thing missing in the Uchiha's opinion were an evil twin and a spectacular chase.<p>

After the revelations Yukie – aka the newly recognized princess Kazehana Koyuki, became even more difficult. Saeko didn't really blame her, Sandayu was being extremely pushy and the actresses' wishes were repeatedly ignored for 'greater good'. Her position on the matter meant that the Uchiha was the only ninja Koyuki could stand, making Saeko responsible for keeping an eye on their charge during their trip.

Kakashi also briefed his team on the Snow ninja, mainly his opponent Roga Nadare. He also told them about the coup d'état Doto orchestrated many years ago and the pride of Yuki – the chakra armour and several other gadgets.

When the ship was approaching dry land Kakashi stressed once more the importance of not letting Koyuki out of their sight and that they would be taking turns.

The movie crew was happy to finally get off the ship and immediately set to film the scenes that needed the port or shore. The princess behaved like normal and the few scenes were shot without much trouble.

A day later when the large group took several vehicles to move to a new location the Leaf ninja nearly glued themselves to their charge.

It was the following morning when the shit hit the fan. Saeko and Kakashi were discussing the disappearance of Sandayu the previous evening when Sakura ran towards the jounin duo "Koyuki escaped! Naruto must've followed her because I can't find him either."

"Fuck" the Uchiha summarized everyone's thoughts.

The director was beginning to panic "Do you think Sandayu had something to do with it?"

"No, I don't think so. Sakura's version is more probable. No matter, we have to find her, even if Naruto is with her they are in danger" Kakashi mused.

"Taichō, can you summon your dogs to track them?" asked Saeko. The silver-haired ninja did not reply but bit his thumb to summon Pakkun, his best tracker.

* * *

><p>"They are just up ahead! Hurry, I don't think it's good" the small pug told the Leaf nin running slightly behind him.<p>

The ninja sped up, the jounins leaving Sakura in the dust. The scene thy come to was quite disastrous. The snow nin and a richly dressed man were atop a train that was shooting a veritable barrage of projectiles, the target being what appeared Snow militia, the rebels Sandayu spoke about. The only relief was that Naruto and Koyuki were out of the way.

Kakashi disappeared in a shunshin as did Saeko. The kunoichi went through a large sequence of seals before the next volley hit "Kuchiyose: Rashōmon!"

A demonic-looking gate appeared before the rebels, shielding them from the arrows and kunai. Saeko took two of the downed samurai and shunshined to cover, a process she repeated until she heard a large explosion.

The masked jounin destabilized the ground under the rail and forced the train to move from their shooting position. Seeing that not much else could be done the train fled away.

Sakura was treating the rebels that survived the onslaught. The film crew that arrived in their vehicles not long after the attack ended was trying to help with the wounded.

One of those who still showed some signs of life was Sandayu, his armour failed to protect him from the high-speed arrows. As a small mercy Koyuki attended the man the few short moments until his death.

Once the bespectacled manager was no longer with them Koyuki stood up and surveyed the bloody snow "This is what happens when you don't give up."

Naruto spluttered in outrage and started his usual spiel, antagonizing the princess even more. Sakura was busy with healing and Kakashi was still alert for any signs of danger let the arguing duo be. The crew was still too shocked to intervene and Saeko was severely depleted from the heavy chakra usage minutes before and frankly not in the mood.

"Incoming!" Kakashi shouted.

Many kunai with explosives attached rained upon them but it turned up to be a diversion as the Snow ninja with the mechanical arms managed to capture the princess. Pursuing their opponent would not be normally the issue but the Yuki no Kuni proved itself once again as Doto and his entourage had Koyuki on a flying ship.

The masked jounin looked at Saeko expectantly. The brunette shook her head "I used too much chakra, we can't travel by raven."

Kakashi nodded "Well, it's not like we don't know where they are headed."

"Where is Naruto?" Sakura asked looking around.

"Last time he was with the princess, do you think…" Saeko begun.

The leaf ninja looked up and saw a dangling orange something on a rope attached to the flying machine.

"Yep" Kakashi concluded.

"Baka" was Sakura's reaction.

Saeko summed it up "Well, at least we have someone with the princess."

* * *

><p>Kazahana Doto was the current leader of Yuki no Kuni so to find his hideout was a piece of cake.<p>

"I have always wanted to storm a castle and save a princess" Saeko laughed as the remaining Leaf ninja observed the huge fortress that was the country's seat of power.

Kakashi merely hummed, his gaze still fixed at their target. Putting down his binoculars he said "That's actually not a bad plan."

„Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked bewildered, already planning to tell the brunette she was being astronomically stupid.

„If a large attack would occur most of the guards, and if we are lucky ninja too, will run to the source. When they are distracted we infiltrate" the masked jounin determined.

The Uchiha nodded „The most basic plan of all. But yes, I too don't see much choice given our timeframe."

Taking out a small book full of explosive noted the captain instructed „Let's pool our explosives. I have the standard 20 seal kit and 5 strong ones."

„I have the same, I wasn't expecting much use for them" Saeko sighed, already eyeing the fort to determine how to best use the destructive fuinjutsu.

Sakura coughed in embarrassment and from her pouch she unsealed a huge tome. The jounins raised their eyebrows in absolute amazement. The pinkette rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly „It's 200 thick. Naruto gave them to me – he was bored on the ship and said Jiraiya-sama told him to practice as much as possible."

"Remember, if an explosion doesn't solve the problem then you clearly aren't using enough explosives" Saeko intoned, "Gotta love my jounin sensei, she is pretty badass for a Hyuuga."

The lone genin looked between Saeko and the other jounin, clearly comparing the teaching value.

The silver-haired ninja busied himself with a crude drawing in the snow depicting their target "It must look as a true attack so we will plant the charges all around the castle. They already have a problem with rebels so it will be more credible. Thanks to Naruto we have plenty of seals so I propose to plant them here and here. The same goes for the other walls."

Saeko studied the map "Sure, no worries, we will not be spotted. Though wouldn't it be a problem that we practically blow up Yuki's capital?"

"It still falls within parameters of the mission. Besides I still hope we can get Koyuki to take her throne" the lanky man replied.

"If you say so, Kakashi-sempai. So, where is our point of entry and how do we time the explosions?" Saeko went to business.

Half an hour later the charges were set and the Konoha ninja were ready to proceed. Kakashi took one last look around "We go to the dungeons. Koyuki is our priority and we need to recover Naruto. We take them and we leave. We clear?

"Clear" his subordinates agreed in unison.

"Ok. Let's go!" the masked jounin nodded and formed the ram seal and the first explosion went off.

Kakashi went in first as he was in this fort before, albeit many years ago. They were unlucky and they encountered a patrol right off the bat. The jounins did not hesitate and slit their throats to prevent them to call any backup. Saeko took three bodies and hid them out of sight as Sakura did the same with a look of mild disgust. Kakashi stripped three cloaks from the guards and handed them to the girls. Cloaking himself he made a motion to continue.

The rest of the journey was swift – as soon as they descended to the lower levels they could run on the ceiling and avoid the guards that were rushing to defend the castle against non-existing attackers.

When an exceptionally large boom was heard Saeko began to fear for the building structural integrity. Kakashi looked worried too when he issued an order "Let's split up and search the dungeons."

The ninja quickly run past the cells that were mostly empty – no hyperactive blonds and brooding actresses though. It was the sound of fighting that attracted the girls' attention. "Up there!" Saeko whispered to the genin and they jumped up to join forces with their leader.

"It's me Naruto!" Kakashi evaded his student's kunai. The team did not question how the princess and the blond escaped but rather resumed running, this time Koyuki leading them.

When they stormed into what looked like the throne room, the ninja realized something was amiss. Kazehana Doto grinned and stood up. Before the shinobi could formulate an alternative plan Koyuki ran from them, right by Doto's side.

Saeko groaned as the princess handed over the Hex Crystal over to her uncle. Naruto was outraged and was very loud about it as three Snow ninja appeared and blocked his path to the traitorous brunette.

It looked like round two of the previous fight, the Uchiha already eyeing the now scarred enemy kunoichi when Koyuki redeemed herself in Leaf's eye by trying to gut uncle dearest.

This action served as the start gunshot – Saeko drew her tantō and darted to her opponent as Naruto ran towards the princess and Doto. Sakura took his place with the big shinobi with weird arms. Naturally Nadare attacked his old enemy as the Copy-ninja went to protect his charge.

This time the Uchiha did not hesitate and immediately brought the fight to close quarters. The true problem was the falling debris as their biggest fears came true – the fort was collapsing – the explosions must've reached some of the more volatile mechanical gadgets the country was famous for.

The two Snow ninja as well as Doto spouted wings from their chakra armour and went to flee the falling building.

"Hell, no!" Saeko exclaimed, royally pissed her opponent would escape a second time. Drawing her wand she fired a powerful binding charm on the Snow kunoichi. The brunette chose this particular spell since it created a field around the target so it was less likely to be absorbed by the armour right away. The strategy worked and Saeko could see the confusion in the female's eye. Capitalizing on the moment she jumped and stabbed the Snow kunoichi right in her surprised face.

As the pink-haired enemy dropped down dead the two men spread the wings and left through the roof, taking Koyuki with them as well as a clinging Naruto.

"Déjà vu" Saeko murmured as the remaining Leaf ninja regrouped and escaped the fort in pursue of their client.

The trio reached the woods when the brunette jounin asked "Nadare?"

"Dead" Kakashi answered.

"Good, that leaves the big guy and Doto himself. Do we know where they are going or we ask Pakkun?" was Saeko´s next question.

The Copy-ninja looked in distance where they last saw the princess "I think I know where he is going – the Rainbow Glacier."

As the Leaf ninja ran they were intercepted by the big ninja from before. Marveling at his stupidity – he actually targeted Kakashi – the girls left their captain to take care of him since they were not far from the glacier.

Saeko arrived first – her jounin speed allowed her to see another rasengan being rebuffed by Doto's armor. It was surely not the first one as this time the jutsu left a fracture in the mighty defense.

Firing several wind blades Saeko ran to the princess to take her out of the immediate fight zone. Standing over her she made quick hand seals and produced a personal favorite of hers, the _Kaen no Arashi_.

To the Uchiha´s surprise the usurper had knowledge of jutsu as well as he produced a fairly sturdy snow defense. Even before her fire technique ended Doto ran to the machine and inserted the Hex Crystal.

What happened next was amazing. Saeko didn't even think to capitalize on her enemy's distraction. Some kind of rainbow colored energy shot from the machine and illuminated the surrounding ice.

Several moments later Doto regained his wits and was looking around angrily, still awaiting his treasure. His eyes zeroed on the princess and Saeko tensed up, ready to defend the client. It wasn't needed as Naruto who has recovered from the usurper's attack made his customary Kage Bushin and begun forming his strongest technique.

Somehow upon the rasengan's formation the rainbow energy got mixed up with his chakra and the result was spectacular. And very very deadly.

But this was not the last surprise – the energy pulsed one more time and some kind of wave erupted from the machine, leaving spring behind.

"Wow" was all the brunette could say as Naruto collapsed once again.

* * *

><p>The mission came to a close but the Konoha team still lingered – mainly they did not want to miss the coronation.<p>

Appointing Kazehana Koyuki as the new daimyo was a big affair and even the ninja enjoyed the festivities. Fortunately the new sovereign had graciously pardoned them for basically blowing up her castle.

Naruto was ecstatic since he received the autograph he had been badgering the actress since day one, only a bit disgruntled because she used a photo of him unconscious.

When all was wrapped up the team met with Koyuki one last time and went to find themselves a ride home.

The team was mid-way to a port in Hi no Kuni when Naruto was struck by a realization "Hey, Uchiha, this mission you were basically useless and I saved the day! HA, I totally win this mission dattebayo!"

Saeko rolled her eyes "How can you _win_ a mission? That doesn't make sense. And by the way, you took off on your own at least three times, no plan, no backup and we had to run to you to finish the job."

"I merely stayed with the princess. You know the one – the one we were supposed to _protect_?" the blonde mocked. "And my Rainbow Rasengan was awesome! In cool points I definitely win!"

The scarred brunette smirked "Oh, yes. That rasengan. It was great… but also very, very gay."

At this Kakashi who was reading his Icha Icha snorted and had to bury his face in the book. Sakura nearly doubled over with laughter and had to wipe tears from her eyes. Naruto just froze and then begun spluttering "Bu, bu, but….. awesome… so not…"

Saeko maintained her stony façade to amplify the effect but inwardly she thought "_And this my dear, is how you win, Uchiha style!_"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Saeko doesn't use magic much because of the chakra armor – in the movie Kakashi said that ninjutsu would have no effect so I assumed the same about magic…<em>


	29. 2- 29 Downtime Hidden in the Leaves

***Downtime Hidden in the Leaves***

"Hey, Yuuko, Anko told me I could find you here!" Saeko smiled at her friends as she sat down on the seat next to her.

The Yamanaka put down her chopsticks and grinned "Saeko! You're back! How was the mission?"

"A success so far, but I will be going back in a month or so" the brunette replied while flagging down the waitress.

"Cool. I never did a solo A-rank, they are usually undercover stints. I work best in a group" Yuuko smiled.

The Uchiha nodded "I remember. I'm quite fond of large area destruction so undercover work is not for me either. Well, I can sharingan through it but it's not fun."

Yuuko nodded "I get it. But I guess you can't really talk about your current mission so I won't ask. So, how do you like being back home?"

"Well, I practically made one step in Konoha and Hokage-sama had a mission for me. In Yuki no Kuni. It was a blast" Saeko finished sarcastically.

"I heard about that! I love Princess Gale movies. And I heard you blew up a whole castle" the blonde chuckled.

Saeko hummed happily "Just a tiny one. It was awesome. Want to join in on the fun? I promised a friend of mine we would go for a mission together. A B-rank maybe? The details aren't ironed out, I gotta ask Sarutobi-sama if he needs me for something special."

The Yamanaka perked up "Do I get to fly again, taichō?"

The jounin laughed "Maybe. So what do you say?"

"I'm in. Who's your friend?" Yuuko asked.

Saeko smiled at the waitress who just brought her food and thanked her. Turning back to the chuunin she said "Hyuuga Neji, chuunin"

"Ok. When do I get to know what and when? I need to talk to my supervisor in the T&A" the blonde asked.

"How about us three meet for tea tomorrow and scout out the Mission Office" Saeko proposed.

Yuuko smiled "Sounds great. How about we meet Neji-san tomorrow as you said but the two us get dinner tonight?"

Saeko smirked at the invite "I'd like that. Do I have to fear a suitor of yours trying to punch me in the face?"

"You could've asked if I'm single outright, you know" the blonde smirked, quite pleased with herself, "But no worries, no punches."

"Good" Saeko smiled. She thought briefly of Faith with a bit of guilt, but a Hogwarts relationship would never lead to anything, it was companionship at best. Saeko settled on the thought that what happens in Scotland stays in Scotland and vice versa. "I'll pick you up at your compound."

"Hai, taichō" Yuuko smiled playfully.

* * *

><p><strong>Itachi's Office<strong>

"You called Oniisan?" Saeko asked when she ascertained her brother was alone in his office.

The ANBU captain nodded and put down his brush "I did. We didn't have time to talk after you gave the report to Sarutobi-sama. So, what's new?"

"You are aware we talk almost every week if you are not on mission. You know everything and I gave you a copy of my report for the Hokage. The only new thing was the mission to Snow. It wasn't bad, at least I saw Naruto in action and made nice with the new ruler of the country. I was kind of bummed out I didn't get to use mahoujutsu on it because of the armor the nin wore" Saeko pouted.

"Chakra armor, I heard about it" Itachi nodded.

"Yup. What's new on your end? Am I getting a sister-in-law yet?" the girl winked.

Itachi uncharacteristically rolled his eyes in annoyance "No. The clan council began subtly asking as well, please tell me you didn't give them the idea."

Saeko laughed "I'm not that cruel. But it makes sense I guess, the council wants an heir, a symbolic new start for the Uchiha after the incident. But don't let them pressure you into anything – you know I'm asking only because I care."

"I know. Now tell me about your lover at Hogwarts" the lord asked.

"Not a lover technically" Saeko said, rolling her eyes at her brother's sigh in relief, "And don't change the subject – first we will be talking about you. I'll tell you about Faith, that's her name, later. So spill."

The man frowned and leaned back on his seat "There is nothing to spill. But I admit I like working alongside a certain female ANBU."

"Is it Owl?" the kunoichi asked eagerly.

"Why are you so fixated on her? No it's not her."

"I might've had a crush on Owl at one point. So, who is it, do I know her?"

"Owl got engaged to an Aburame jounin and quit the force."

"Aww" Saeko said dejectedly, "I hope she doesn't begin to wear a hood over her magnificent hair, that would be such a shame!"

Itachi hummed "Anyway, it's Eel and you don't know her, I think. She's a sensor, quite handy with fire as well."

"Did you ask her out yet?" the girl asked.

"No, as I said, it's nothing. I enjoy her company but I'm not looking for a relationship. Now, tell me about this Faith. I like the name, is it common over there?" Itachi asked.

Saeko accepted the diversion tactic with a shake of her head but obliged "It's not uncommon, I like it too. I like her but I won't bring her to Konoha naturally, I just enjoy being with someone."

"Hm. Alright" said the older Uchiha, clearly trying to hold his 'big brother need' to keep anybody off his little sister. Her being into girls made it easier, they looked less threatening to his nee-chan's virtue.

"By the way I'm going with my friends on a mission tomorrow. It's a slaver operation that needs ending. We picked it up at the Office ourselves – B-rank, 5 men team, a bit of overkill with our skills" Saeko shared.

The raven-haired man nodded "Who are you taking? Neji?"

"Yup. Neji is the scout, Shikamaru for entrapment and strategizing, Yamanaka Yuuko interrogation and Niwa Takahiro for heavy hitting. I never worked with him, he's Yuuko's friend. Taijutsu and doton are his specialties, he looks capable" the kunoichi replied.

"Good. Try to hurry up, I want you on the next Uchiha Council" Itachi said tad sternly.

Saeko whined "Niisan!"

"No discussion. You left me dealing with them alone for too long already while you were gallivanting at your School. Be grateful they aren't pestering _you_ for an heir. And believe me, that time will come" Itachi smirked.

The girls smirked as well "Good luck trying to talk the Godaime Hokage out of loving women."

Itachi laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>Ryuuji<strong>**'****s Dango Palace, four days later**

After the group gave their reports it was decided they would go for a drink. Well, Neji needed some convincing but Saeko was his best friend for a reason.

They all sat down and ordered. Shikamaru was being quiet as usual when his participation wasn't strictly required. Saeko was surprised he agreed to come in the first place but apparently volunteering for a mission would get his mother off his back for a little while and this side-trip enabled him to stay free of her 'nagging' longer.

The main conversation was carried by Yuuko and her friend – Takahiro. Apparently they fought against each other in the chuunin exams in Suna a couple of years ago and became friends after. Takahiro was easily biggest of them all – he was heavily muscled and wore a sleeveless shirt under his chuunin vest to show it off. Saeko mused he kind of looked as an average Iwa ninja, especially with his short brown hair and doton affinity. Oh, and an apparently iron stomach since he was drinking sake as if it was water. Yuuko, who was friendly with Anko, obviously had training in drinking and was not far behind him.

Saeko had a huge smile on her face as she sipped her own drink – the mission went without a hitch and she got to try the mahoujutsu she was itching to unleash for quite some time. The bone crushing course quickly became a favorite of hers despite her usual liking for flashy techniques. She got to try out legilimency and even some darker courses. She went a bit wild on the slavers and it felt great.

"…. and the mayor's daughter was totally into me. And why wouldn't she, I was the dashing hero that just saved her from the salvers! I kinda hate you for not staying there for a while longer Uchiha" Takahiro said as he lifted his drink.

Saeko smirked "Tough. And for your information she was totally eyeing Shikamaru. She called him 'cool and aloof'."

"Mendokse" was the Nara reply.

The muscled teen protested but when even Neji smirked he pouted and poured some more sake. "You could've let me try. Just because you got some doesn't mean you should deprive me of my chance" Takahiro said before cutting a piece of his red-bean paste, "I was in the tent next to you Uchiha, Yuuko. I'm onto you."

Saeko shot him the Uchiha Glare™, but said nothing since some old-fashioned groping did go on in their shared tent. Yuuko merely chuckled. Neji lifted his eyebrow but said nothing while Shika muttered his customary catchphrase.

As the evening progressed Neji and Shika excused themselves while the three left proceeded to drink into further inebriation. Not long after they were joined by several other off-duty ninjas who came for a drink.

"… and then Shikamaru-san said to disarm the scout and Uchiha here cut off his arms. Then she turned to Nara and said 'oh, did you mean figuratively?' She's great!" Takahiro finished recounting his favorite part of the just completed mission with his booming voice. The group that gathered for his story-telling roared in laughter.

Saeko chuckled and whispered to Yuuko "I think that's my cue to leave. I still need to function tomorrow."

The blonde smiled "Not a bad idea. Inoichi-sama did say to drop by after my mission, being completely hangover would be bad form. I'll walk you."

"How chivalrous, but let _me_ walk _you_. The Yamanaka compound is much closer" the brunette said as she stood up from her seat.

When the two girls made their way through the patrons and the bar Yuuko smirked "When you leave me at my door will I get a goodnight kiss?"

"If you behave."

Yuuko smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Clan Head<strong>**'****s House, Uchiha Compound**

Saeko was doing her Hogwarts homework in History of Magic when she heard her brother's voice outside her room "Sister, there is someone with orders for you waiting outside. Not ANBU."

"Hai, hai!"

The brunette sealed her stuff in a scroll, away from any prying eyes and quickly dressed in her jounin gear. Selecting few sealing scroll full of equipment she jogged to the front entrance. Slowing down into a more dignified walk she went to hear her new mission.

The messenger was to Saeko's great surprise Yuuko. The blonde smiled "Yo. My T&I cell is going on a mission, we need back up to stand guard and I volunteered you. You are not busy right?"

Saeko merely raised her eyebrow in question and otherwise maintained her blank face. The Yamanaka chuckled "Just kidding, Anko sent me to retrieve you. We are going on a mission. Sadly though, you are not the taichō."

"Who is?" the brunette asked, quite intrigued.

"Ibiki himself" was the reply. Now that was most definitely intriguing. Since the Uchiha was already geared up the duo ran to the gate of the compound and shunshined from there as a courtesy to the Clan laws.

Saeko dutifully followed her companion into the dark building that housed the Torture and Interrogation department. She sighed at the amount of security points and required identifications. Finally the duo entered Ibiki's office. The Head of the Department was not alone – Saeko grinned and waved to Anko and greeted a Hyuuga, a second Yamanaka and another ninja.

Ibiki nodded curtly "Uchiha-san, good. Meet Mitarashi Anko, Hyuuga Daichi and Kūsuke Saji. We are waiting for three more people, I will explain then."

The Uchiha nodded and leaned on the nearby wall, waiting for the debriefing. When two chuunin entered Ibiki presented his team once more. Once done he continued "You have been drafted for an S-rank mission. It is heavily classified so don't ask questions and don't babble. We are going to capture four to five targets, interrogate them, wipe part their memory and send them off with different intel."

Saeko and her fellow non-departmental ninja were quite surprised, it was a huge undertaking. The shinobi on her right asked "Wiping just part of their memory, is it even possible?"

"It is. We have already tested it but this will be the first field trial" Ibiki answered and then he looked at the Uchiha, "We have recently acquired a new technique that makes it possible."

The brunette nodded in understanding – magic. Or more precisely potions since it was not her to use it. Ah, yes, the Forgetfulness Potion was one of the formulas she brought back. She was glad it seemed to work. The classified nature of Mahoujutsu also explained why this mission had the higher-ups of the department on it.

Ibiki continued "The targets will be surrounded by guard. We don't know how many but it will be a lot, probably some ninja as well. That's where the second team comes in. Uchiha you are in charge of the second team which will do all the fighting and capturing while we prepare for our part."

Saeko bite back a smirk when Yuuko eyed her and mouthed 'taichō'.

The scarred interrogator continued "Get to know your team, we leave in ten minutes."

When the T&I people left Saeko turned to her team. It turned out she had an Aburame, a swordsman and a doton specialist. The Aburame will be handy when subduing the targets without injury while the others would take care of the guards.

"Ok, squad, move out!"

X

The fight was laughably simple. As soon as the T&I people identified the targets Saeko and her team set up an ambush. Their opponents were mostly common soldiers. The only three ninja among the group grabbed one of the targets and sought to take him to safety but a body-bind spell made them fail.

When the fight was over all enemies laid dead and the targets were bound. Ibiki and his team went to collect them. The scarred interrogator smiled a tight smile "Excellent. Fujikabe, clean this up."

The doton specialist nodded and hurried to use his specialty to hide the blood and make the terrain look undisturbed.

The Konoha ninja made their way to a freshly dug cave, courtesy of earth style. Ibiki's team took the prisoner inside while the leader himself gave the orders to the fighting group "We are not to be disturbed. Keep watch and kill anyone that approaches.

Saeko nodded and resigned herself for a long wait.

After several hours passed Anko came out "Hey, Saeko, come in for a sec."

The scarred brunette nodded and signed to her team to keep doing what they were doing and followed the snake summoner into the cave. Once inside she spotted three of the prisoners lying unconscious, but still bound, on the floor while two others had one Yamanaka each in front to them doing… well, Yamanaka stuff. Hyuuga Daichi had his byakugan activated and was intently monitoring the prisoners.

Ibiki looked up from his notes "Ah, good. I thought you wanted to see your formulas in action. It took us a long time but we have determined the dosage to the periods of memory we need to make disappear. This field test is a success. If you have any questions ask Kūsuke, she is the one who does the brewing in the T&I.

The two kunoichi spent some time debating potions and their use in Konoha while the Yamanaka finished implanting new memories to their prisoners. Once they were done the prisoners will be convinced the scout and a handful of his guards barely escaped a group of missing nin who took down the rest.

Gotta love magic.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside public baths<strong>

Saeko was searching for Jiraiya to get an update on the Voldemort situation as well as Orochimaru and anything else he would be willing to share. Sarutobi said his student was currently in Konoha so the brunette went to the public baths right away. If by any chance the man would not be there she would hit the bars.

With her sharingan activated she soon found the anomaly that signalized the spy-master "Jiraiya-dono!"

"Pshhhh, not so loud!" the white-haired man whispered frantically.

Saeko rolled her eyes, glad the Uchiha compound had their own onsen, but with Jiraiya-sama one can never be sure.

"I need to talk to you. Come on, before they accuse me of spying as well" said the brunette.

The sannin giggled but tore himself from the hole in the wall to the baths. Since Saeko wanted to pump him for information she offered to buy drinks.

Jiraiya seemed to agree on the Uchiha's need for the intel and had shared what he had about the British Dark Lord but not much more. After that it was Saeko's turn to answers some of his questions regarding Hogwarts and magic in general.

When 'business' was done Saeko sighed "I'm sorry Tsunade refused to return."

The gama sennin nodded "Me too. I had hoped with Naruto behaving so much like her brother Nawaki I would get her to come back. I think she is mollified so maybe one day when we really need her. Maybe after she finished studying the material you brought back from Scotland. It intrigued her, to say the least."

"Good. Where is your apprentice by the way?" the brunette asked.

"On a mission I believe, with that cute Hyuuga heiress and her team, searching for a bug of all things" Jiraiya shared. Afterwards he frowned though "I'm thinking of taking Naruto with me next time I leave. A training trip if you will. Did your brother tell you about Akatsuki?"

"Just that is a mercenary band of highly skilled missing-nin. Some even bordering S-rank" Saeko frowned.

"Akatsuki is on a need to know basis but maybe you could find something against them in Mahoujutsu. They are indeed missing nin but they are not bordering S-rank, they _are_ S-rank."

"That's bad, that's very bad. We only have you, Sarutobi-sama and my brother. Maybe Hatake but not right away" the brunette recounted.

Jiraiya nodded but smiled as well "And you are climbing fast. Mahoujutsu is an unknown so that gives you quite an advantage and your classic shinobi skills are top-notch. And that is without the sharingan. And of course with the right training Naruto could defeat one of them as well."

"So you are taking him for some kind of Jinchuuriki training?" Saeko frowned.

"Essentially. I'm thinking three years so some shinobi stuff as well. Also I want to take him away because I found out that Akatsuki have an actual goal and that is capturing all the bijuu" the man said somberly.

Saeko was speechless. Finally she asked "Why?"

"No clue as of now" Jiraiya sighed.

The Uchiha hummed "If and when you need me don't hesitate to call and even extract me from Hogwarts. This is big but I will be prepared. If you can think of any way I could help…"

"When I know more about the members and their specialties I'll let you know. Maybe mahoujutsu will help" Jiraiya nodded.

"What does Naruto say?" Saeko asked.

Jiraiya shrugged "He doesn't know yet. I'll tell him when he returns from the mission and we set a date for our departure. He will be excited about the training and determined about the danger I assume."

The brunette smiled "That seems accurate. Speaking of Naruto, did you know he gave me one of your books as a gift? He said Kakashi reads it so it must be awesome. He didn't have a clue what's it about. I laughed for quite some time."

Jiraiya laughed "I know! He told me when he found out what I write. He blushed so hard it looked like a katon technique. But now he calls me Ero-sennin."

"Fitting I suppose" Saeko smiled, happy with the levity after such a bombshell being dropped.

The duo sat laughing and talking about Jiraiya's 'art' and his plans for the new IchaIcha. Saeko also complained at the lack of girl-on-girl action. The sannin's reply was the same as Kakashi's had been – write a cameo or something similar.

Finally the duo parted ways – the sannin returned to the baths - 'suddenly inspired to write more', and Saeko returned to the Uchiha compound. Since Itachi was on a mission with his ANBU team she was tasked to do the paperwork in his absence. Saeko sighed at the thought. She hoped she would meet someone along the way home she desperately needed to talk to or maybe she would be drafted for another mission. Or maybe she could say she needed to fit in one last mission before her leaving Konoha again.

Yes, that would work.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__ There will be no Tobi/Madara/Obito and all that clusterfuck. This __'arc' will be ending with Nagato and Konan._


	30. 3- 30 Here We Go Again

**AN: Sooo... third year! Still can´t believe I made it this far.. Still, I´m really looking forward to this year, our Ravens are getting older and I can definitely promise more fun.**

**AN2: Maybe you can celebrate this momet by dropping me a review :-)**

* * *

><p><strong>*Here We Go Again*<strong>

Saeko appeared on the platform 33/4 near the crimson locomotive half-hour before the scheduled departure. She adjusted the huge scroll on her back so it didn't wrinkle the typical Uchiha wide-collared shirt she wore.

Making her way through the crowd she spotted a familiar face "Faito-chan!"

The fourth-year turned and smiled "Hey. Long time no see. How was your summer?"

"Great! Yours?" the raven-haired asked as they got on the train.

"You know, the fact you couldn't write me was kind of maddening. Keeping your location secret I sort of understand but not even letters? Come on! As to your question it was also good" Faith replied.

The Uchiha shrugged "Yeah, I know we are weird. I'm sorry. But nothing much exciting happened anyway. Tell me about your summer."

The two girls found a compartment that already had two of Faith's friends inside so they joined them. They talked about their respective holidays, Saeko very much edited hers – missions and Yuuko were obviously not mentioned.

"So, will we be seeing another Brennan this year?" the scarred girl asked.

Faith shook her head "No, but I didn't expect it anyways. Little sis was always normal, so no letter arrived at her birthday. Pity, she would love it here."

As the other Hufflepuffs talked between them Faith turned to the kunoichi "You know, little sis asked about you."

"Really? In what capacity?" Saeko asked.

"She asked if I was seeing anyone. I didn't say but I told my best muggle friend when she asked" the Puff said, "She was quite scandalized about the letter situation."

"I'm really sorry about that, it is not my choice. And what did you say about me?" Saeko asked after her apology.

Faith smiled "That I'm dating the school's star lacrosse player and top student."

"Lacrosse?" the Raven asked, confused.

"First thing that came to my mind. It's a sport and the beater position is vaguely similar to it. Sofia had a photo of us from the match Badgers VS Snakes developed the muggle way. My fried Amy says you're cute but her boyfriend is far cuter" Faith shared.

The scarred girl smiled "I'll take it."

They talked until the nice lady with her cart full of goodies came by. Saeko bought some of her favorite licorice. After finishing it she stood up and excused herself to find her Ravenclaw friends. Faith waved with a smile and they agreed to meet up the following day to compare timetables.

Saeko walked to the back of the train, checking the compartments for her little poker group. When she finally found them they were unsurprisingly playing Exploding Snap.

"Yo."

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

The feast had been uneventful. The House of the witted got itself 14 new students, they were all made to sing the school song – Saeko and Helena refrained and merely hummed for everyone's safety – and they all caught up with their friends.

Saeko and her friends made their way to their Common Room before the new members could. Both the kunoichi and her roommate decided to leave unpacking for tomorrow and went back down to see the new students and find out who the new fifth year prefects were.

It looked like most of the students had the same idea, even the quidditch team which sat together. Saeko approached them with a smile and since there were no more chairs and she refused to sit on the floor she plopped down on Jamie's lap.

"Hey! A little warning next time?" said the chaser but made no motion to throw the ninja off.

The brunette shrugged "Well, I wasn't going to sit on the floor, I'm a lady. And since neither James nor Rory are gentlemen and didn't offer me their seat…"

The ginger-haired chaser smiled sheepishly and got up "I'm sorry. Please sit."

"Nah, I'm good here" Saeko smiled and cuddled into her captain who rolled her eyes. Rory chuckled and sat back down.

After Flitwick gave his customary welcome speech Saeko asked "So how were your OWLs? You and Frost were freaking out but I bet you did well."

Frost grinned "Yeah, both me and Jamie passed everything. I got all Es and Os."

"I did alright" the captain said but her huge smile betrayed her.

The team congratulated their oldest members. Wayne sighed "I can only hope we get similar results. Man, I can't believe we are fifth years already. The real shit starts now."

His year mates nodded. Jared had a realization "Hey, is it also the last year as a team or you plan on continuing in your seventh year as well?"

Both the chaser and seeker shrugged. "Don't know yet, but I probably won't. If I'm getting a job at a law firm I need to study much more than just for NEWTs. And those are very hard" the blonde reasoned.

James hummed "And what about this year? Are we holding trials or we go as we are?"

"Well, if nobody wants to quit then I say we keep the winning formation" Jamie concluded with a smile.

"Sweet" Wayne grinned.

"But now we have a reputation to protect so I'm going to make you work hard. We are winners now and I want to go 2 for 2 in my captaincy. We clear?" the girl said sternly.

"Crystal" the team chorused.

"But I'm not in the mood to discuss quidditch, we'll deal with everything on our first training. Let me know about your timetables tomorrow evening so I can determine a good time for one" Jamie said airily.

Saeko winked "Of course, we can cuddle in silence."

The team laughed. Jamie chuckled as well "What would Faith think."

The kunoichi did not reply as she squinted towards a group of seventh years "Hey, is that Geoffrey? Did he grow a beard?"

"Who?" Frost asked as he looked over as well.

"The prefect. He was the one who took care of us in the first year. Good guy" Saeko said as she studied her friend. The team shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

Saeko and her friends sat at their usual seats for breakfast. The ninja grinned when she received her Japanese style meal as the year before. She clicked her chopsticks and ate with great enjoyment as her companions speculated whether they would have the new subjects on the first day.

When most of the House was finished eating professor Flitwick charmed the timetables he brought so they would fly to their respective owners. The third years groaned – their timetable was fuller than ever with their new lessons.

The kunoichi studied her new schedule. It looked like she would get Runes right off the bat, followed by Charms, lunch, Charms again and finally DADA. The next days were similarly full, school was definitely getting harder. Or at least longer.

"It looks like we go our separate ways for the first lesson" Helena remarked, "I've got Muggle studies first."

"Yeah" the group chorused and stood up. Caitlin grinned "Bye bye, I've got a free period, catch you at Charms."

"Bitch" Wallace murmured and got tripped for it.

Saeko, Ashley, Peter and Daniel made their way to the fifth floor for Runes. Only two other Ravenclaws followed.

As they entered the kunoichi spotted her Slytherin friend already sitting. The Uchiha tapped Lauren on her shoulder "Can I join you or are you waiting for someone?"

The red-head looked up "I've got one seat saved for Isolde but the other two are free."

Saeko and Daniel sat down and took their books out "Thanks. Since I was deprived of my Herbology partner I get to pick your brain in Runes."

Isolde, who just sat down beside her friend frowned. Saeko smiled at the blonde Slytherin "Just kidding, I'm awesome even at Runes. I already read Norse runes. Worry not, I won't bring your grade down."

Before Isolde could say anything Lauren smirked "Yeah, enjoy the Gryffs in herbology. I hear three of them fainted last year during the Mandrake lesson, too stupid or cocky to follow instructions. Oh and since we have Charms together as well you get to see me for two more lessons today, lucky you!"

"Yaaay" Saeko said sarcastically but smiled to indicate she was joking.

The professor entered and the class fell silent. Bathsheda Babbling read the roaster – her students were a mix of all four Houses in roughly the same ratio. The class syllabus was next and Saeko smirked at the fact Norse runes were the first to be studied.

All in all the class was fascinating. Saeko knew what to expect since she read the book but the professor's explanation made it really look like a slightly different variation of Fuinjutsu.

When the bell rang the both the Ravenclaw and Slytherin students made their way to Charms. Saeko was in a great mood.

* * *

><p><strong>DADA Classroom<strong>

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff waited in silence for their, yet again, new professor for the Defense against the Dark Arts. There were several bets going on the identity of the prof - Helena's idea, naturally – whether it will be a man or a woman, British or foreign like Bangasé was and several other criteria.

Finally a woman entered the classroom and stood tall in front of the teacher's desk. She appeared to be in her late forties but was very much in shape dressed in a tight, jet-black dueling armor from hardened leather, charmed without a doubt. All in all she was dressed for combat. Otherwise she was a typical ginger, freckles and all, but where some looked cute she looked dangerous.

"I'm Deirdre McKenna. You will call me Miss McKenna. I'm your new Defense professor. And let me tell you right away there will be no messing around in my class. Defense, and combat in general, is a serious matter" said the woman in a thick Scottish accent, nothing like McGonagall who tried to curb it for the masses.

As the professor began explaining the syllabus Peter elbowed Saeko in the ribs and whispered "Dude, you're drooling."

"I think I'm in love" the ninja whispered dreamily, never taking her eyes off the stunning woman.

When the lesson finally ended and the students scattered Ashley teased the ninja about her reaction to the Scottish dueler. Saeko was still grinning, not ashamed in the slightest "Damn she is gorgeous. Pity she wouldn't go for a student. I could just see her pinning me to a wall and…"

Helena shook her head "Try to rein it in. Peter was right, you were literally drooling. And you have a girlfriend, remember?"

"Don't know about that, the Puffs were giving you the stink-eye and I bet Faith will hear about it very soon" Ashley remarked.

"Shit" Saeko mumbled, she was already feeling guilty about Yuuko, "But I couldn't help it. Dressed like she was ready to storm the castle, hair in a tight ponytail, those high boots, the commanding aura and voice – Deirdre is practically sex on legs." _Not to mention she looked slightly like a dominatrix – damn you Jiraiya!_

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

The third-year group was playing cards, their usual evening entertainment, and discussed the hot gossip that Michelle shared with Caitlin at dinner. Leon White didn't return for his fifth year in Hogwarts. The school went wild with speculation – some theories were so farfetched someone had to be making them up for fun. There was this idea he got bitten by a werewolf. Another said his father was a vampire and wanted Leon to take over his empire. One Gryffindor insisted he knew for sure that the seeker joined a cult and dropped out because of it.

"The most reasonable thing I heard was that he transferred to Beauxbatons to be closer to family. Maybe his parents died or something. Or they simply moved" Daniel shrugged.

"Who cares, the Lions are without a great seeker" Caitlin grinned.

Saeko hummed "Victory is always so much sweeter when won against a worthy opponent."

The Irish girl waved dismissively "Philosophy or no philosophy, now your job will be easier right?"

"Right. Or maybe the Gryffs are hiding another gem in their midst. Hmm I just realized their team will have many vacancies this year, it will be practically a brand new team. I know for sure both beaters are out" Saeko mused. "Do you know who got captain, I haven't thought of looking."

Graham was the one with the answer "Wood, the keeper."

"Pierce will not like one younger than him calling the shots. I hope it causes some friction" Saeko chuckled, tad evilly.

"Yeah" Caitlin nodded, "But it makes sense, Wood is on the team longer and from what I hear he wants to play professionally."

The raven-haired shrugged "Hn, we'll see how he fares. I plan on winning again."

"Good" Graham, Peter and Caitlin said in unison.

XXX


	31. 3- 31 Rain Sucks

**AN: I want to thank the guest reviewer who is making me smile since chapter 27. Love ya :-)**

* * *

><p><strong>*Rain sucks*<strong>

Saeko stepped into her room, immediately shrugging off her quidditch robes that were completely soaked. Training in the rain was quite fun the first time but not anymore. But at least it looked like they haven't lost their edge – as per Saeko's and Jamie's insistence all players trained during the summer holidays at least in some capacity. The blonde captain had put the ninja in charge of the physical training since she had the most experience and had run their routines anyway. Torturing her teammates with sit-ups, runs and whatnot amused Saeko greatly, she kinda looked forward to teaching her own genin team someday.

Once out of her clothes the Uchiha cast a drying charm on herself. Since she had scheduled a date with Faith she put on her casual clothes. Saeko planned to be extra nice – she was already in the proverbial dog house between the letters issue and her crush on the DADA professor.

Ashley entered her guitar in her hand "Oh, I didn't know you were here, I would've knocked. How was your training?"

"The rain sucks but otherwise great" Saeko said distractedly.

"You fancied up, are you meeting Faith?"

The older brunette nodded "Yeah."

"Oh, good luck" the Brit sniggered and sat on her bed, "You have some sucking up to do."

"Don't I know it" Saeko mumbled, _"And it could've been worse."_

***flashback***

_Since their turn to guard the camp were the morning shifts Saeko and Yuuko went to their tent right after dinner – Neji had served a surprisingly delicious stew instead of standard rations. The girls shared a tent since it was more practical, the boys did too with the exception of Takahiro who decided on sleeping outside._

_Both Saeko and Yuuko were high on adrenaline after their successful mission. They had done the flirting and some kissing before so it made only sense to continue after the big fight. After some touches, gropes and rubbing Saeko stopped "I won't be sleeping with you today, I'm sorry."_

"_What? Why not? We were victorious so we deserve to celebrate" the Yamanaka said in confusion, her lips still on Saeko's neck._

_The raven summoner gave Yuuko a kiss on the lips but refused deepening it "__I__am with someone on my assignment. To be clear – on assignment, not for the assignment."_

"_That doesn__'__t count, it__'__s not like it__'__s gonna last. You are undercover or something like that, I bet she doesn__'__t even know who you are for real" the blonde reasoned._

"_True but I__'m__, for the lack of better word, committed. Ninja may not be honorable but I would feel bad" the jounin explained._

_Yuuko exhaled, tad irritated "Nice of you to lead me on. But ok, I get it. Can we spoon at least?"_

_Saeko didn__'t answer but slid behind the blonde and embraced her from behind. Yuuko cuddled more closely to the younger kunoichi "I already got my goodnight kiss I take it?"__ The Uchiha kissed her temple._

"_Oh, and by the way kissing is cheating too" _

"_I know" Saeko sighed._

***flashback end***

Saeko found her Hufflepuff already sitting on a bench of their favorite place – it was a covered balcony just above the cliff on the west side of the Castle. With the rain still going strong it was the perfect place.

The Uchiha approached Faith as noisily as possible – she didn't wasn't to risk her usual stealth pissing off the light brunette even more that she already probably was.

"No sneaking today?" Faith asked and turned to face the kunoichi.

"Wouldn't want to startle you enough for you to fall over the edge" Saeko smiled.

The Puff looked over to the low stone railing "Hmm, do you think Dumbledore or someone charmed it so it would be impossible?"

"I don't know. Hogwarts is huge and we usually use only a small percentage of the space in it. But I guess it would make sense. But leaving it uncharmed would give the castle a nice Shakespearian atmosphere, don't you think?"

"Do you feel like Lady Macbeth?" the older teen teased.

"Afraid for your life?" Saeko smirked.

Faith grinned "I don't know, it would be poetic – your girlfriend falls to her death during a tragic accident and you are free to ride into the sunset with Miss McKenna."

Saeko wanted to start explaining herself or just apologize but she noticed that the other brunette was not angry so she joked back "Shite! You are onto us, and to think Deirdre thought it was the perfect plot!"

The Brit laughed "It's Deirdre now? You work fast."

The scarred teen rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "I confess to drooling a bit at the sight of her. She took me by surprise, she is like sex on legs. I'm sorry."

"That's it? No groveling?" Faith asked, clearly not offended.

Saeko cast a non-verbal _Orchideous_ and pink tulips appeared in her wand hand. She gave them to Faith as she fell on one knee in the most dramatic fashion possible "I most sincerely apologize for my transgression. Please forgive me, my lady. It shan't happen again, this I swear."

"Rise my knight, you have my forgiveness" Faith replied in a similarly theatrical manner and took the offered flowers.

Both girls erupted in laughter. Faith calmed down first "I bet you read Shakespeare and some old muggle authors this summer, am I right?"

"You are. Helena said it's a must, so I obliged. I liked it but I prefer the modern stuff Ash lets me borrow" Saeko smiled and sat on the bench nearest the edge.

Faith nodded enthusiastically "Totally! Like this summer I read a magnificent book, or series of books to be more accurate. It's sci-fi. You know what that is right?"

"Science-fiction? Yeah, Ash explained. It's the space stuff and time-travel, artificial intelligence and things like that, right?" Saeko remembered.

"Precisely. Anyway, it's called Dune. A friend of mine made me see the movies they made and I decided to read the books too – one of the best ideas I ever had. It also has much politics in it so I think you would like it too. I won't say what's it about in case you want to read" Faith said animatedly.

The Leaf nin smiled at her girlfriend's enthusiasm "I'd love to. Bring it the next time we meet."

Faith nodded and sat closer to the raven summoner. Saeko put a hand on the Puff's shoulders and pulled her closer. Since there was a lull in the conversation she spoke up again "But hey, I'm sorry about my littlest of crushes on Miss McKenna."

"You can call her Deirdre if you like." Faith smirked, "Don't worry about it, I too had a crush on my teacher once. Mr Bernard, he taught us English."

Saeko overlooked the fact Faith's crush was obviously male since it wasn't her place to say anything about it. She was in the wrong and she knew it – not the DADA prof exactly, but the other things. Deciding to change the subject Saeko asked "Hey, could you explain me that muggle sport I apparently play?"

Faith was confused for a moment but then she got it "Lacrosse. It's a team sport that uses a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick. The head of the stick is strung with loose mesh designed to catch and hold the ball. The objective is to score shooting the ball into the opponent's goal using the stick. It's a contact sport, can get a bit violent at times."

"Hm, not a bad comparison I guess with my beater's bat and all. Is it badass? Because I'm definitely a badass" the ninja grinned.

"Most definitely" Faith chuckled.

"So your friend did not give you any trouble about your badass girlfriend" the Uchiha asked.

Faith lit up "No, it actually boosted my cool factor. Quite considerably might I add. And for some unknown reason it made the boys hit on me all the harder."

"Really?" Saeko said dangerously.

Faith smiled at the Raven and waved dismissively "Hey, I never asked how people take your lady-loving back home."

"The Clan Council will probably pester me for an heir, but Itachi is the Lord so he's the baby-making machine. But yeah, no one has a problem with it. Our community is pretty accepting as long as you are loyal to it and follow the rules" Saeko answered.

After this both girls talked about lighter topics. Faith took great pleasure in depicting the 'drama' in the Hufflepuff House. Among other things it was the thing that most of the girls suddenly liked a guy who had a growth spurt during summer and now looks "all kinds of awesome". Also how the firsties are so small and bratty. Faith also shared she would like to be chosen to be a perfect but a girl she dislikes has a far better shot.

They finished their date in a typical teenager fashion – a make out session. Saeko would've liked to escalate a bit but was all too much aware the Puff girl, older that her or not, is not as mature as the ninja. Problem was Saeko did not have a measure on how fast 'normal British/magical' girls go in a relationship. Finally she resolved to ask Helena – less chance of teasing, jokes and overboard curiosity.

Yes, she would ask Helena.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

"Ooh and here they come!" Ashley yelled from her comfy spot near the fire with Helena and the rest of their year mates.

Saeko, Caitlin, Peter, Wallace, Paddy and the unusually silent Michelle made a sad, sad procession – all of them were soaked to the bone, hair dark and slicked back, water dripping from their school robes. Nobody spoke but they all glared at their dry and rosy-cheeked friends.

"How was Care for Magical Creatures?" Daniel asked provocatively.

"Sod off" Paddy mumbled.

Saeko who crept up behind Daniel squeezed her hair of seemingly all water on his head and as he shrieked she said "Oh it was a bit wet but alright."

"_You_ are cruel" said the bespectacled boy as he tried to clean his glasses. The rest of the Ravens laughed.

After drying charms were cast and they all cleaned up Saeko sat near her friends. Peter was still disgruntled "I'd like to water board the genius who made Care class outside. We might be protected from the rain during but they still make us walk back to the Castle. It's pouring buckets there!"

"Yeah, but it's still better than that stuffy room at Divination. I think Trelawney is actively trying to suffocate us. All that incense is crap, especially if the fumes catch onto all that carpet-y decorations."

The group chuckled. Graham shook his head "I still can't believe you took Divination. Everybody says it's useless. An easy grade though."

"Hey, I told you last year I'm taking it because of great-gran, she was a genuine seer ya know. Mother wanted me to take the class and see if I inherited something" the Irish girl said in her defense.

"And did you?" Ashley asked.

Caitlin snorted "Yeah, her silver cigarette case."

The third-years laughed at the dead-pan delivery. "While we are discussing electives, Arithmancy is brilliant if you were wondering. Muggle Studies is not bad. Though we got a different professor than the previous years - Quierell quit for a sabbatical, but professor Burbage seems good so far" Helena shared.

They discussed their new subjects for quite some time, the novelty still hadn't worn off. All in all the Ravens were content with their selections.

When it was time for dinner they descended into the Great Hall. Before either could sit down Jamie Todd shouted "Uchiha! Over here! You don't mind me stealing her for a moment, right?"

Saeko obediently headed towards her quidditch captain "What do you need? Hey, Jared, Frost."

The boys just nodded, their mouths full, Saeko sat down. Jamie finished her drink "So, next raining is tomorrow at six, and you are forbidden to whine about it. Now, I want to talk about brooms."

The quidditch players raised her eyebrows in confusion. "What about them?" the seeker asked.

"The Nimbus Racing Broom Company will soon be announcing a new upcoming product this summer. Word is it blows out of the water any other broom on the market right now. And it's not publicity, that hasn't even started yet, I know because my dad's friend is Nimbuses' lawyer" Jamie frowned.

"So?" Saeko asked as she scooped up some fried rice.

Frost spoke as well "What's it called?"

"Nimbus 2000. And my point is if someone gets that broom we're screwed. Our brooms are old. Well, except Uchiha's, but the Cleansweep pales in comparison to Nimbuses' new hit. Anyways I was wandering if anyone wanted to make a new wish for Christmas or their birthdays or similar. Especially you Frost" the chaser smiled sweetly.

The trio of subordinates just stared at her dumbly. Jamie sighed "Well, it was worth a try. No chance then?"

"Dunno boss," said Jared, "I have better things to ask for."

"Yeah, me too. But I'll think about it" Frost said and had to grin at the smile he got in return.

Saeko shrugged "We'll see if we need them but I think we are good. Did you try to cajole the others too?"

"I might've…" the blonde trailed out.

The ninja chuckled. The Uchiha Clan has spent quite a bit of money on broomsticks already - Itachi brought 30 brooms in henge just the year before. Aside from summons, flying was quite unusual back home. Sky country was the only one who achieved it with their flying machines but it was precisely that technology that led to their doom. Sarutobi and the Uchiha siblings decided to keep the brooms in reserve, an ace in the hole, and reveal them only when they are really needed. They also didn't determine yet if they could be used by others aside Uchiha and Senju.

Saeko would make sure she finished Hogwarts with the top broom on the market but that was a long time away.

"Are you getting one?" Jared asked, interrupting the jounin's thoughts.

Jamie sighed "No, too expensive. And I don't think I'll continue playing next year. NEWTs are too important."

"Then why are you asking?" Saeko said, curious.

The blonde chaser shrugged "So I get you to win next season as well? And maybe getting you to update your broom for this season – the Nimbus will cost a fortune so buying the top broom now wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Not bad" Frost remarked.

"I try."

* * *

><p><strong>On the way to DADA<strong>

"We have dear Deirdre again" Saeko sing-songed as she and her two best friends made their way towards the fourth floor.

Helena rolled her eyes "Must you be always so chipper when we have defense?"

"Hey, she is teaching combat spells right now – and, hello? Soldier here?" the ninja grinned, not having ulterior motives at all - checking out the teacher was most definitely not on her list. That would be the answer if someone asked her.

The trio climbed up the stairs when they heard crying nearby. Ashley immediately followed the sound, the other girls right behind her – Helena with a resigned sigh, Saeko high alert in case of a fight.

They found three girls, one with a bloody nose. Saeko looked sharply at the end of the corridor and spotted some people just turning the corner. She thought she saw a faint trace of green and silver. The ninja shrugged and turned to the girls – first year Ravenclaws as it was now clear.

Ashley had been consoling the crying one but since they were in danger of being late the Uchiha took charge "I'm Saeko Uchiha, third year. What happened?"

The girl on the floor was surprised at the harsh tone and stopped crying. Since she still said nothing her friend answered "I'm Cho Chang, this is Marietta Edgecombe and Harriet Ellesmere. Some older Slytherins cast the tripping jinx on her or something similar, we just got shoved. They just laughed and left."

"Do you want to report this to Flitwick?" Helena asked, resigned that they would miss the start of class.

"I don't know who they were" Harriet answered.

Saeko hummed and summoned her wand. Marietta's eyes went wide but the kunoichi smiled comfortingly "Don't worry, I'm on the quidditch team, we get injured all the time. I know what I'm doing."

When the nose was repaired, the bleeding stopped and robes cleaned Ashley saw a seventh-year prefect and flagged her down. When the situation was explained Vanessa Flanery said "Good job Uchiha, I'll take care of it now. I believe you have a lesson to go to?"

The trio took off with many thanks from the first years. As they hurried towards DADA Saeko asked "How come we never had much altercations with Slytherins ourselves?"

"Dunno, maybe the rain just makes people wanky" Ashley shrugged.

"They prefer to pick on the other Houses, and they know better than to attack us – Saeko would fry them" Helena remarked, "Michelle is targeted though."

The light brunette turned to her friend, confused "Really? Why didn't you tell?"

Helena just shrugged.

The trio jogged to class, well aware the bell rang a few minutes ago. The two Brits were breathless but the Uchiha opened the classroom doors anyway, not wasting any more time.

Miss McKenna looked sharply at them "I don't really take kindly to people who are late."

Saeko bowed "Gomennasai, we stopped to help our first-years who had been bullied by some older Slytherins."

The teacher's face remained blank "Really? Did you obey the 'no fighting in the hallways' rule?"

"Hai, we only saw the tail of them" the ninja nodded.

McKenna hummed and looked at the trio contemplatively "If we weren't at school would you be able to defend them?"

"Hai" Saeko said confidently, while the recovered girls behind her looked uncertain.

"Did you ever duel?"

"No."

"Maybe it is time to teach you. All of you. I planned dueling for the older-years only but I guess third year is knowledgeable enough" Deirdre finally said. Looking around she ordered "Stand up and pull all the tables aside."

Once the room was prepared Miss McKenna unsheathed her wand "Let's see what you got, let's see if you are prepared, let's duel. Uchiha you first."

X

"Wow, Saeko. Wow! Even Deirdre was impressed. And 50 points? Awesome!" Ashley clapped her friend on her back as they exited the classroom. Their friends hummed their agreement.

"Dueling is fun" Peter grinned. Miss McKenna made them all duel. After testing Saeko she paired up the rest of the class. She watched every match and pointed out the most common mistakes such as footing or slow speed.

The third-years were quite proud when McKenna gave a previously unseen smile and said they were better than she expected. But in the same breath she also said that while the spell list used was quite large, their duels were unimaginative, with only few exceptions.

With the promise of teaching them dueling, the class had been dismissed.

Caitlin summed it up nicely "Best lesson EVER!"


	32. 3- 32 First Weeks are Carefree

***First Weeks are Carefree***

**Library**

Saeko was perusing the library shelves, trying to find a title that would inspire her. She had received a message via Toad mail from Jiraiya that contained three names of presumed Akatsuki members with their specialties. Naruto had also written a message which made her grin as always – especially his proclamation in bold characters that he would return stronger than ever and take the Hat.

Passing the transfiguration isle and delving into charms she thought that the simplest solution would be to sic her and Itachi on them. Jiraiya's intel said that Akatsuki moved in pairs – the feared Uchiha duo could just team up and trap them in Tsukoyomi. Unfortunately it would probably make them blind, the power required would be just too much even for the Cursed Eyes.

Finally she took a tome from its shelf and headed to the reading tables. Looking around for a place to sit she spotted Lauren, shuffling pages of her own book, sometimes pausing to read a paragraph. Deciding to interrupt the bored-looking girl she approached the Slytherin "Hey, Lauren, mind if I sit?"

The red-head looked up "Sure."

"You seem bored, what are you reading?" Saeko asked.

Lauren closed the book and put it on the table "It's actually very interesting but I'm just not in the mood I guess. It's a biography of Pericles."

"Hm, Pericles, son of Xanthippus, Athenian" Saeko hummed. At Lauren's surprised expression she said "I scavenged all politics related books, I even asked Pince for them."

"Yeah, you said you want to be some big politician back home. Studying for it?" the Slytherin smirked.

Saeko shrugged "It's good to be informed. Why are you reading it?"

"I'm a fan of ancient Greece, both muggle and magical" Lauren answered, after a beat she asked disinterestedly "What are you reading?"

The scarred teen just waved dismissively so Lauren spoke again "Come on, amuse me with something, I'm bored."

"Why are you here then?"

"Isolde has a crush on the biggest douche that exists in Slytherin and can't shut up about him. I don't think he even knows her name since her family is not wealthy or old or far-reaching, and she whines about it. Anything is better than that" Lauren sighed.

Saeko awwed "Soldy has a crush. Do I know him? And shame on you, avoiding a friend in need."

"The only thing she needs is to shut up. And you don't know him I think - he's a fifth year. And she is not the only one, that's most infuriating. To be honest I don't know what the fuss is about" the red-head rolled her eyes.

The raven-haired chuckled. Then she noticed something "Hey, maybe your entertainment is coming. Hey, Higgs."

"Uchiha" said the newcomer, "Hey Lauren."

The Slytherin girl perked up "Hey Terence. Please say you have something interesting to say. We are bored."

"Hey, don't lump me with you on that, I'm happy here. But if you have some awesome idea lay it on, my book is not pressing" Saeko looked at the boy in anticipation.

"No, I got nothing" Terence said slowly and sat down near his friend.

Saeko sighed in mock disappointment. Then as a thought came to her she said "Little birdie told me you play seeker."

"Did she now?" said the Slytherin boy and glared at the red-head.

Lauren's eyes went wide "Nope, not me! I haven't told a thing. How do you know Uchiha?"

The kunoichi shrugged, secretly pleased "I just told you, a little birdie told me. I take it's true? Light and fast, your stature is good for the position. Ne, how good are ya?"

Terence huffed "I'm not telling the enemy. Flint wanted to keep it on the down low, it's bad enough that you know."

"Why secret?" Lauren asked.

"I don't know, it's his first year as captain" the dirty blond haired boy shrugged.

Saeko nodded sagely "We'll see. I was surprised at his captaincy, I expected someone older. But I guess the seventh years need all the time they can get for their final exams. The Slytherin quidditch players are often not the sharpest tools in the box after all"

"Hey!" Terence said indignantly but Lauren laughed "Sorry, but it's true. Daugherty almost had to repeat the year. More brawn than brains, you know."

The Ravenclaw grinned and stood up "On that note, I think I'm going to my room to study. See ya on the pitch Higgs, do try to stay on the broom. Bye Lauren." The two Slytherins waved at her in goodbye, one sullen looking, the other sniggering quietly.

Saeko made her way to the Ravenclaw tower, hoping to find her captain so she could share the news. Higgs being seeker did not change a thing though, since they would see him in action in the first match that the Snakes had against the Lions, but this confirmation is always good to share. Saeko sighed at the fact that if the positions were reversed their new team member would be probably quite the target for the House of the Ambitious. But hey, the Ravens were the good guys. Maybe only some psychological warfare, maybe they could get Terence to have a mental breakdown if they were lucky…

* * *

><p><strong>Ashley and Saeko<strong>**'****s Room**

"Right when I thought you couldn't be more of a snob" Ashley sighed.

The blonde in question smirked in satisfaction. The trio was currently in Helena's room, a rare feat. Helena was painting – her new hobby. The canvas was quite large, hence their location. "Go back to your muggle magazine. It looks very intellectual" said the Grey as she glanced at the small brunette.

Saeko chuckled as she looked up, seeing the magazine's cover which sported a man dressed exclusively in black sticking his tongue out "It fits the theme, you did see her new posters back in our room, right?"

Ashley didn't dignify that with a response, she merely turned the page. Helena was slightly bummed about the lack of response and turned at the Uchiha "What about you Saeko? What are you reading?"

"A fantastic book Faith lent me. The only thing _Dune_ is lacking so far is sex. But hey, I'm only starting" the raven-haired grinned.

"Sounds good" the blonde said non-committally and turned to her creation.

"More than good. And what about you? What are you painting?" Saeko asked. When Helena merely shrugged she had another thought "Hey, I just realized I'm the only one that is not artistic in our trio."

Ashley let out a laud laugh "You are right! Ha! Finally something you are not perfect in."

"Hn. That could be remedied if it would make you feel better. I have been told I should try my hand at writing." _IchaIcha girl-on-girl, bet hey, it counts_.

Helena laughed at the dismayed look Ashley had. Saeko joined in "Don't worry, I have no intention in joining ranks with you artists. You officially win in this department."

"Hey, it's not my fault you are pretty much perfect" Ashley shrugged.

"I am, aren't I? I knew even you wanted a piece of this" Saeko grinned and pointed at her body.

The small brunette rolled her eyes "Don't flatter yourself, Uchiha."

"If you say so, but I'm onto you, Weir" Saeko joked with a smirk.

Helena wanted to add on but was distracted by soft rapping on the window glass. When she spotted her eagle owl she smiled widely, put her charcoal down and opened the window.

Ashley smiled as well as she put down her reading material "What a beautiful owl."

"You say that every time" Saeko grinned but even she had to admire the noble animal.

Helena smiled proudly and gave _Pheidippides_ an owl treat before she took the letter he carried. As the blonde sat down to read her mail Ashley approached the animal and caressed his feathers.

"I'm surprised you didn't take Care since you seem to like animals quite a bit" Saeko remarked.

Ashley shrugged "Maybe I should've, I sure like them better than math that is in Arithmancy. But alas archeology demands sacrifices."

"You seem like a dog person" Helena said while trying to carefully open the envelope. Saeko rolled her eyes, drew a flat knife from her boot and passed it to the blonde to facilitate the process. The blonde took it cautiously "Thanks. I always liked cats, we have one at home but he only listens to mum."

"Figures. I think you fit the cat personality perfectly, I would guess you would be a cat animagus. Me, I always wanted a serpent. They are so cool, so nice to touch, truly beautiful animals. I would bet the Slytherins would shit a brick if I showed with a snake in tow – an affront to their House or something."

Saeko snorted in amusement "Too true. Truth be told I'm not thrilled with serpents though – they have a seriously bad reputation back home."

"Hmm, they do have a stigma attached to them almost everywhere, it's curious" Helena mused.

The light brunette shrugged "I don't care, they are pretty. What about you Uchiha, favorite animal?"

"I'm gonna stick to ravens, my messengers wouldn't have it any other way. But I guess I like seagulls also" Saeko replied.

Helena looked up from her letter "Is Konoha near the sea?"

"Nope but it's not that far. But all in all I have been to the harbor no more than three times. Konoha's forests are our most defining feature" the ninja smiled softly.

"Is that why you run in the Forbidden Forest every so often?" Ashley asked.

The raven-haired teen sighed at her being discovered "Yes, I like it. It _is_ a bit dangerous so I get why the Headmaster stresses the forbidden part of the name, but if you don't venture too deep it's like any other forest out there. And hey, running around the lake gets boring after a while."

"I wasn't criticizing, I saw you duel so I know you could at least get away if something happened" the small Brit shrugged. Saeko smiled at the compliment.

Helena put aside her letter with a smile and asked "Speaking of dueling, did you finish the DADA homework?"

Ashley shook her head while the kunoichi replied "Hai, a most useful exercise."

"True. I'm still missing five spells" the blonde sighed, "I always thought I'm more imaginative then this project makes me look."

"Please, you wrote how to use a cleaning spell in combat. It that is unimaginative I'll eat my hat. You are just stuck because you want something revolutionary. Just use normal spells and apply them for dueling" Ashley scoffed.

"I know what the task is. But Miss McKenna did say to try unusual applications" the pureblood sighed.

Ash rolled her eyes "The task was to think up 20 normal spells. I think the professor will live if five of them are not that original."

Saeko stayed silent since she had quite a head start in this matter - this homework is precisely why she was in Hogwarts in the first place. She smirked at the thought that her classmates could help her – maybe this exercise would give her something she could use in real combat. She chuckled at the thought of Iwa-nin bested by a cleaning spell.

At the chuckle both Brits looked at the ninja. Saeko just shrugged with a big smile "It's nothing, I was just thinking. Carry on."

Both witches shrugged and continued their discussion.

* * *

><p><strong>Near the Black Lake, Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

Saeko was sitting against _their _tree near the Black Lake, waiting for Faith, absorbed in her book. She and the Hufflepuff had decided in the morning they would meet outside since it was an amazing day, the first sunny one after quite a while.

It was only her awareness as a ninja that prevented her from jumping in surprise when Faith appeared from behind the tree Saeko was leaning on "Hello."

The raven summoner smiled brightly and put a bookmark in place "Hello."

"Hey, you are actually reading it! How do you like it?" Faith yawned and plopped down into the ninja's lap and took her _Dune_ book in hand.

"I'm intrigued to be honest. I'm just at the beginning, they just only arrived at Arrakis but I can already tell I'll like it" the Uchiha confessed.

Faith grinned, tad sleepily "I'm glad."

"Are you tired?" Saeko asked as the lighter brunette cuddled into her, eyes closed.

"Hmm. Miss McKenna's class was tough, Potions was nerve-wrecking and I didn't get much sleep last night… And you are comfy" Faith mumbled.

The Uchiha chuckled and hugged her girlfriend tightly and kissed her temple "Sleep well, then."

To Saeko's surprise Faith did fall asleep shortly after without another word. The ninja chuckled and took up the book in her free hand once again.

Half an hour later the Puff woke up, confused about her surroundings. Saeko smiled "Hi honey, slept well?"

Faith rubbed her eyes "How long was I out? And honey?"

"Thirty minutes or so, I believe you deserved a nap. And what's wrong with honey?

"Nothing, I like it. We didn't do pet names before, I was just surprised. Do I get to call you sweetie?" Faith asked cheekily.

Saeko was horrified "No way, I'm a badass. If you are going to call me anything make it cool. You know, if you were tired you could've just sent me a letter and cancelled."

"I know, _babe_, but the Owlery was too high up and Owlie has been a pain lately, I was too tired to deal with him" the Brit shrugged.

The Uchiha face-palmed "Ok, please no pet names, I apologize for honey. By the way, I still can't believe you named your owl Owlie."

Faith smirked "It fits him."

"Of course it does, he's an owl for Kami's sake!" Saeko exclaimed and got a laugh in return.

After a while spent in comfortable silence Saeko had an idea "How about I take you out for a proper date, the first Hogsmeade visit approaches."

"I'd love to" Faith grinned and kissed the scarred jounin. Saeko smiled against the Puff's lips and deepened the kiss.

When the make-out session ended Saeko smirked "You like the idea I take it."

"Well, it was about time" the busty brunette nodded, "Do you know where will you take me? To be honest only Three Broomsticks is decent but that is always very crowded and loud."

Saeko hummed, thinking "How about a picnic then?"

"That is really not much different from what we usually do" Faith sighed.

The Ravenclaw cocked her head to the side "True, what then? I have never been to the Hogsmeade village before and I don't know how to apparate even if it was legal."

Faith frowned "Yeah, sorry. Well, Three Broomsticks I guess. I refuse to set foot into Madame Puddifoot's. One would say there would be more restaurants then just three."

"Alright then, it's a date" Saeko smiled brilliantly

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Right now I'm dowloading my pre-order of Dragon Age Inquisition sooo the next chater may delay a bit... Sorry<strong>


	33. 3- 33 Student Interactions

**AN: Sooo, DA:Inquisition is great, really really great and I can´t wait for the DLCs. Sorry for the long wait but it really couldn´t be helped :-)**

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><p><strong>*Student Interactions*<strong>

**Balcony on the 5****th**** Floor**

Saeko jogged up towards what she and Faith quickly had claimed as 'their spot' upon its discovery – the nice closed off balcony they used to meet up when it rains or just to have privacy. Faith was already there, sitting on the low stone railing, her cloak close because of the strong wind.

Saeko cleared her throat to announce her presence. The Hufflepuff turned and smiled "Hey."

"Hey," Saeko replied in kind, "I'm sorry I'm late but our team meeting was a bit longer than anticipated."

"I gathered. So what's your professional analysis of today's match?" Faith asked and patted the spot next to her.

Saeko obliged and sat where indicated "The match itself was great but the team and I focused more on the individual players and team strategy. The Weasley twins as beaters were a bit of a surprise but great move on Wood's part."

Faith nodded "Yeah, they really must be connected somehow, being twins and all. They are really good. You have competition."

"I do not. Didn't you hear the commentator? I'm a wonder" Saeko smirked cheekily.

The Puff rolled her eyes "Yeah, I thought you would notice that."

Saeko hummed "Oh, yeah. And to answer the commentator's query this wonder is not going to be repeated – the twins are going down, me and Jared will take care of that. And besides, if everything fails Frost will squash their seeker, he's really poor."

"True, neither seeker was as good as White was. Fraiser and Frost are far better. I'm feeling good about our chances this year" the busty brunette said with a brilliant smile.

"Me too. I'm sorry about the Badgers but we are going to win this year as well" Saeko replied cockily.

Faith met her girlfriend's gaze challengingly "We'll see."

A gust of strong wind made them shiver. Saeko stood up and wordlessly offered her hand to Faith. The shorter brunette took it and the ninja led them away from the edge and onto the bench just in front of the back wall.

When Faith cuddled into her she took out her wand and cast a non-verbal heating charm to keep them warm. The Puff sat more comfortably and smiled "Much better, thanks. And non-verbal, wow. Of course you wouldn't be content with learning it in the sixth-year. No wonder Deirdre gives you as an example even in my class."

Saeko just shrugged, uncertain what to say. Faith clearly wasn't looking for a reply because she continued "That reminds me that I totally smashed Moreau in our duel just the other day. It was epic even if I do say so myself."

"The 'Dick of Slytherin' you told me about? The one who goes on and on about pureblood superiority?" the Uchiha asked. Faith grinned and nodded. "Nice! High five!" Saeko applied her learned muggle knowledge. Faith laughed and obliged.

"You should've seen his face! He was so red! Even his fellow Slytherins snickered at the humiliation. I have to be careful now in case he wants to restore his reputation but it was so worth it" the Hufflepuff said smugly.

Saeko smiled softly "I'm proud of you."

It was clearly the right thing to say since Faith smiled and smashed their lips together. The ninja smiled against her girlfriend's mouth and let her tongue ask for entry. As the kiss deepened Saeko tangled her fingers in Faith's chestnut hair.

As they separated Faith breathed out "No fair, you keep your hair in a tight braid."

The Uchiha just hummed and reached behind her, releasing the ribbon that held her braid together. She left the rest of the untangling to the Hufflepuff if she so wished and latched herself onto Faith's neck.

When the Brit let out a sound between a moan and a groan Saeko smirked and used her left hand to bring their bodies closer together. Returning back up Saeko joined their lips together again. She couldn't help but shiver as Faith's hand met her bare skin when her turtleneck hiked up.

The movement seemed to startle the Hufflepuff and she sat back. Saeko frowned slightly and asked with a deeper voice than usual "What is it?"

"We are practically outside, it's cold and not private at all" Faith replied.

"Keen observation"

Faith rolled her eyes "I'm being serious."

"Me too, I don't follow" Saeko frowned.

"What I mean is…" the Puff sighed, "Basically, what I mean is that if you wished to go further this is not the place."

Saeko's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She was feeling a bit frisky but that was nothing new – ever since that mission with Yuuko she toyed with the idea of less than chaste things to do with the Brit. Now it looked like she was not alone with such thoughts. The scarred teen cleared her throat "And, hypothetically speaking, what would be the place?"

Faith snorted at the poorly masked eagerness of the kunoichi "Well, not here. The American TV shows might give bizarre ideas but I would like my first time to be somewhere civil."

"I have never seen a TV and I still agree with Abby, you watch that infernal device far too much" Saeko said while her girlfriend just shrugged. "Just so you have all information I have a Konoha rune array that functions as a privacy charm or people-repelling charm" the Uchiha continued.

The lighter brunette hummed and her eyes gleamed but replied with only a nod. Saeko chuckled and kissed Faith's jaw gently "Just a thought. Now, may I just make out with my favorite girl?"

"You may" Faith laughed and initiated the kiss.

X

**Ravenclaw Tower**

Saeko entered the Raven's Nest, as she sometimes head Rory and Wayne refer to their common room, in a great but thoughtful mood. She looked around and was lucky to spot Helena reading by herself near one of the fireplaces. The Uchiha approached her friend ad sat on the chair's arm "Hey."

"Hey. Do you mind?" the blonde sighed, her eyes never leaving her book.

The brunette sighed good-naturedly and relocated to the floor. After a few minutes of Saeko's intense staring Helena surrendered and closed her book with a heavy sigh "What is it?"

"I… Well, I'm sure I shouldn't say but Faith kinda made a move" Saeko said quietly.

Helena sat straighter, her interest in the book forgotten "Really? Tell me."

After a brief and censured recounting Saeko grinned "You know, I just never expected it. In Konoha there would be no question – those who have seen death tend to be mature."

"So what's the problem?" the blonde asked.

"There isn't really one. I just felt the need to discuss it" Saeko shrugged.

Helena arched her eyebrows "Discuss what? A possibility of you getting laid?"

Saeko did a spit-take "Wow, you really spend too much time with Graham and Caitlin."

"Graham and Caitlin what?" came a new voice from behind them.

The blonde looked up "Hey, Ashley. Me and Saeko were just…" at the subtle shake of the ninja's head she changed the end of the sentence, "…talking. About nothing much. Where have you been? Dirt digging with Peter again?"

Ashley rolled her eyes "We were doing the Runes homework."

Saeko smiled gratefully at Helena for her successful change in topic and began talking about the _Prose_ _Edda_ from which the assignment for Runes was this week.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

The Ravens that just finished their outside class – Care for Magical Creatures, and decided to stay on the grounds until it was time for dinner. They all sat or lay on the grass enjoying the evening air before Scottish weather will make such a thing impossible.

"Pity Helena isn't here, she would have a betting pool up in a heartbeat" Paddy remarked.

Peter chuckled "You mean about professor Kettleburn?"

"Yep. Like how long until he loses another body part or dies" the Irish boy nodded.

Michelle, who stayed to everyone's surprise, shook her head in disbelief "You guys are weird. The poor fellow already has an artificial leg and missing a couple of fingers."

"That's precisely our point" Peter rolled his eyes, "And you have seen his giant burn on his neck today. I would not be surprised if Dumbledore stood up one day at breakfast and said Kettleburn was eaten by one of his pets or something like that."

"You have a point" Saeko agreed.

Caitlin nodded "He may be nuts but his classes are exciting. _Crups_ may be magical Jack Russel Terriers but they are pretty cool. And Kettleburn's stories were pretty funny."

"The fact that they hunt and eat muggles is funny?" Michelle arched her eyebrows.

Saeko sighed "Pure conjecture. He said _crups_ eat anything, from candy to cadavers. Fact number 2: they are ferocious towards muggles. And the stories were mostly unrelated."

"Sane or not I think we can all agree that Care is great" Wallace summed it up, "It's definitely better that Divination."

The Uchiha snorted in laughter "What isn't."

The group laughed with the exception of Michelle, who loved the subject. "Too true. The most exciting thing that ever happens in Divination is when Trelawney predicts someone's death" Caitlin grinned.

"What from Faith says that is pretty often" Saeko remarked.

Both Wallace and Caitlin, hell even Michelle, nodded sagely. Suddenly all three of them burst into laughter. The rest just looked at each other, no clue at what set them off.

After a while of patient waiting Peter broke "Come on, tell us. What's so funny?"

Another round of laughter ensued. After Caitlin calmed down somehow she opened her mouth to reply but another laugh came out instead. Finally Wallace took a deep breath "Man! I was sure we told you about it. It was hilarious."

"Yeah, we got that" Paddy said, annoyed.

"It was three days ago. We are doing_ tessomancy_ right? Reading from tea leaves?" Caitlin said and looked around. When all nodded she continued "So we all received our cups and when out tea was finished we took turns with the reading while Trelawney looked over our shoulders. Suddenly we hear Leroy Crow from Gryffindor gasp and tell his partner that he will die next month and that it will be far from pretty. Trelawney grinned, I swear she grinned, and practically jogged to Crow. She took his cup to examine the leaves and…" another snort of laughter. Wallace joined in, much to anyone's annoyance.

"She took the cup and there were no leaves in it" the Irish girl continued,

Wallace couldn't wait and butted in "Yeah, he had there a dry muggle tea bag with the words 'you are going to die' written on it."

When Saeko stopped laughing she asked "So what did Trelawney do?"

"She went ape shit" Wallace snickered.

Caitlin rolled her eyes "She didn't. She got angry and he got a lecture about the inner eye and how he shouldn't make fun of serious business just because he's incapable to fathom the greatness of the universe. She even called him jealous of her talent."

"Yeah, something like that" Wallace concurred, "Then he got subtracted 30 points and got a huge detention. Trelawney also said she would speak with his head of House about it."

"I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that one" Peter sniggered.

Saeko nodded "Me too. McGonagall made quite clear what she thinks about Divination and its teacher. I wouldn't even be too much surprised if she got him the points back."

The group chuckled. After they all calmed down Michelle stood up and said "I'm going to head back."

Peter nodded and stood up as well "I'm going too."

Wallace and Paddy joined them. The Irish boy looked at the girls "You coming?"

"I'm good. I like it here, I'll join you at dinner" said the Uchiha who lay on the grass with her eyes closed.

"I'm going to keep Saeko company" Caitlin shook her head.

After the rest of the Ravenclaws left the two girls just lay in silence enjoying the peace and quiet. It was a nice change of pace from the always crowded Common Room.

Half an hour later Caitlin sighed and stood up "We need to go, otherwise we might miss dinner."

Saeko looked at the darkening sky and nodded "You're right."

As the duo walked back towards the Castle the ginger looked the ninja over "I noticed you keep your hair unbound lately. Why's that?"

"No reason" Saeko smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Dorm Rooms<strong>

Saeko sat heavily at her desk having returned from the Ministry of Magic where she mediated another mission for Minister Fudge. The mission was fairly personal in nature for the Brit thus quite simple. Saeko was pretty smug about the gold she negotiated for the solo mission she gave to Hayama – quite a profit for Konoha. With the stern jounin on the job the only thing left was the paperwork.

The raven summoner wrote most of the report when Helena entered the room "Oh, my apologies. I didn't know you were here. I'm just returning a book I borrowed from Ashley."

"That's ok, return away" the raven-haired shrugged.

"Where were you all of today? We looked for you" Helena asked.

Saeko shrugged again "Just out. Did I miss something?"

"We are having a party of sorts downstairs. Basically is playing cards and tea…" said the blonde.

"So like any other weekend" the Uchiha smiled.

Helena chuckled "I might seem so but no - Ashley's parents published some big paper on the ruins they were on for the last two years."

"Oh. Well then, I guess we are heading down" Saeko nodded. She resealed all the documents and stood up to follow her friend to the common room. The brunette hesitated when Helena opened the door. When Helena arched her eyebrow in confusion Saeko raised one finger in a 'wait a sec' motion and made her way to her closet. Perusing her scrolls she finally selected one and unsealed a small sake bottle.

Helena crossed her arms "Really Saeko, alcohol? I recognize the kanji."

"You said there was a party" the Uchiha smirked and unsealed a small cup.

The blonde cocked her head to the side but then shrugged and left the room. Saeko tidied up and followed suit.

"Look who I found" Helena said and shooed Graham off his seat so she could take it.

"Heeeey!" the group chorused. Ashley followed up "Where have you been?"

Saeko sat down on the floor "I needed to do some paperwork, Konoha related. I did plan on tackling the potions essay next but I was informed about this gathering. Oh and congrats to your parents. Does this mean you will not be going back to Chile this summer?"

"I guess so. I actually don't know what they are planning next. Pity though, this dig had some awesome runes. Dad taught me about them and how to read them. I hope we go somewhere cool" Ashley grinned.

Graham nodded "Sound great. I would love to leave this castle for a bit. Go somewhere sunny."

Helena rolled her eyes "We have been at Hogwarts only for two months now and you already want a vacation?"

The brown-haired boy just eagerly nodded which prompted another eye-roll. Daniel nudged his friend "Our first Hogsmeade is approaching, you get to leave the Castle then."

"Yeah, but just for a day, that's nearly not enough. But I do look forward to it" Graham replied.

"Who doesn't" Caitlin agreed, "I really can't wait to explore it all. I know the upper-years say it's nothing that awesome, especially if you've been there more than three times, but I can't wait all the same."

"Maybe we could get a fire whiskey at the local bar!" Peter's eyes lit up.

Ashley rolled her eyes in annoyance "As if. It's not like some students try it every year."

Peter and Graham pouted to everyone's amusement. Saeko merely smiled as she sipped her celebratory drink.

"We could all explore together" Daniel proposed.

Ashley nodded "Sounds good, I'm in."

Among various sounds of agreement Saeko said "I can't, I'm going with Faith."

"Ooooooh!" Graham and Peter said with silly faces.

"Jealous boys?" the Uchiha smirked smugly.

The duo made a show of thinking hard "Yeah", "Yes actually". The rest laughed.

"Where are you taking her?" Caitlin asked.

Saeko chuckled "Actually she is kinda taking me. I've never been in Hogsmeade, she has." There were various snorts of suppressed laugher at which the Uchiha looked indignantly "What?"

"Nothing!" said the majority as if rehearsed.

Caitlin elaborated "It's just that we expected you to wear the pants in the relationship."

"Yeah, it's you who is on the butchier side" Daniel remarked. Saeko glared at him and he immediately looked down.

"What does that mean?" Graham asked.

Cue Uchiha Glare™


	34. 3- 34 Outside the Walls

**AN: Hebisama proudly presents: the last chapter of 2014. Enjoy :-)**

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><p><strong>*Outside the Walls*<strong>

"Come on team, double time it! Remember, the last lap is in full sprint. Chop chop!" Saeko shouted at her teammates with poorly hidden glee as she was finishing the fifth lap around the quidditch pitch.

The Ravenclaw team groaned, still not used to Saeko running their physical training. Jamie put her in charge of their warm-up routines since the Uchiha was in more than excellent condition, had experience with it and the fact she tended to meddle in it. Basically the younger girl bugged her about the composition of their PT until Jamie cracked and yelled at the beater in frustration. The offended Saeko countered with the fact that her family was military and that she basically lived at boot camp which sparked some reluctant intrigue. Finally Jamie let her do a trial run (trying to shut her up was definitely one of the reasons) which ended with her new position within the team.

To say Saeko enjoyed it would be a big understatement, she even looked forward to bossing around her eventual genin team.

When the last of the quidditch players finished the requisite laps Saeko led them through a thorough stretching routine. To finish up she announced "10 sit-ups, 10 jumping-jacks, push-ups, squats; 9 sit-ups and the rest, 8 sit-ups, 7... you get the gist. Afterwards take we'll take a short break and one last lap to regulate breathing."

Wayne muttered something under his breath about slave drivers which made Saeko feel all warm and fuzzy inside – from what she observed a common affliction of jounin senseis.

"And warm-up complete. Jamie, back to you. Well, unless you want me to run the exercise we talked about?" Saeko grinned at her captain.

Jamie shook her head "The blind-folded one? Not today. Next time, if you think it will help. God knows you talked about it enough."

"Hey, it's a great exercise! My sensei used it on me and my teammates back in Konoha – we were always in synch and aware of each other in the field" the Uchiha pouted.

"Next time" was the Brit's reply.

Saeko nodded and went to retrieve her broom as per usual while mumbling about 'spatial perception' and 'awareness'. Jared who walked beside the brunette chuckled.

The rest of the training was dedicated to practicing counters for some of the maneuvers the Hufflepuff team favored as well as some of their own specialties. The first match was always a big unknown with the new captains and players but the blonde captain was quite confident they would prevail.

When their allotted time on the quidditch pitch came to the end the team retired to their respective locker rooms.

As Saeko was braiding her hair, still wet from her shower, she spoke to the frowning Jamie "What's up? You are being quite morose lately."

"It's nothing" the blonde sighed.

Saeko nodded "Alright."

After few beats of silence Jamie sighed again "It's Duncan."

"Frosts' friend? Scot, long black hair?" Saeko asked, intrigued to where this was going.

"Indeed. He has a crush on me" the blonde said. Saeko fake coughed *obviously*. Jamie glared at her friend but continued "He's asked me out at least five times now even though I declined him each time. I was quite forceful the last two times but he did not relent. And his puppy-dog imitation is beginning to get on my nerves."

Saeko frowned "I could talk to him. Although I doubt he will find me intimidating, silly man. Maybe me and Jared could make a stop after our training?"

"Why after training?" Jamie asked.

"Uniforms and more importantly heavy wooden bats. And polite smiles" Saeko grinned.

Jamie shook her head "I appreciate it, but no. He's harmless, just irritating. I'll just have to be more firm next time he tries. If he didn't get the message already."

"Ok" Saeko said neutrally.

The chaser smiled "Thanks though. And sorry for being, how did you put it, ah, morose, lately."

"No worries. Everyone is entitled to being grumpy once in a while" the Uchiha shrugged. As she collected her broom Saeko looked back "Would you mind if I took off without you? I'm meeting Faith…"

"Yeah, sure, no problem" Jamie replied and went to search for her want to blow dry her hair.

Saeko waved her captain goodbye and walked outside. Spotting her target halfway to the Castle she started running ninja speed. When she was close she shouted "Jared, James, wait up!"

The two boys turned as the kunoichi jogged towards them "Hey. I need you two for something."

"Really" James said skeptically.

"Yeah. Oh, and keep your bat and broom close" Saeko smiled angelically.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogsmeade Village<strong>

It was a truly beautiful day to be outside, it was as if the sky itself decided to give the Hogwarts students a break. The village itself was nice, especially after being confined to a castle and its grounds. Granted, the Castle was huge and full of possibilities for exploration since the staff and students only regularly used less than half of it, but Hogsmeade held something more. Here there were shops, regular people, even pubs and, well, the word freedom could be used to sum it up. At least for the students.

Faith and Saeko strode down the main road hand in hand. They never seemed to do that in the Castle since they never really _go_ anywhere there so they never seen a point. The Uchiha was glad her girlfriend didn't mind her wearing her customary gloves since she found Scotland quite chilly, especially in November.

"Sooo, this is it" said Faith as the duo arrived at the village's boundary.

Saeko didn't bother to hide her disappointment "Hn, I guess the joy of being away from Hogwarts clouds the student's minds. From what I heard I expected so much more. But I guess it'll do."

The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes good-naturedly "You'll like it here, just you wait. So, anything caught your fancy? I definitely want to go to Honeyduke's."

"Hmm, a quick tour of Zonko's followed by that magical items shop? There could be something useful to be found. Other than that I expect you wouldn't like jogging around the village" Saeko said teasingly.

"Nope, not in those shoes and clothes darlin'" Faith replied dryly, knowing all too well Saeko's dedication to exercise.

The raven summoner made a show of looking at her girlfriend but decided to forgo a comment on how lovely would all that bouncing be to the audience. Instead she just said "You do look lovely, I wouldn't want to mess with that. To Honeyduke's then?"

"Yes!" Faith said excitedly and tugged Saeko's hand so the couple could walk faster to their goal. The raven-haired sighed, wondering why nearly all women she knew had a sweet tooth.

When the duo finally settled down in the Three Broomsticks Saeko was quite surprised she enjoyed exploring the little shops more than she had anticipated even though she did not find anything particularly useful that she could bring back to Konoha. Faith beamed when the Uchiha admitted having heaps of fun on this outing.

Since the pub was packed as the older-year predicted, the duo decided to sit at the bar. Faith was a bit bummed that the Konoha nin already knew and tasted Butterbeer since it was in her top ten things she liked best about the magical world. After a brief consult with Madame Rosmerta, as well as an enjoyable talk with her, Saeko ordered a small Gillywater.

It was a bit past lunchtime when Saeko's friends arrived to the pub. Ashley immediately spotted her roommate and dragged the whole Ravenclaw group with her. Saeko gently interrupted Faith's recount of her meeting Moaning Myrtle, the obnoxious ghost that inhabited one of the women's lavatory at Hogwarts, to point out the new arrivals.

After the customary greetings were exchanged Saeko and Faith decided to join the group for lunch since Caitlin had been lucky enough to spot a newly abandoned table to which she promptly laid siege. After giving their orders the Hufflepuff asked how the third-years liked the village but the conversation soon turned to the upcoming match between their Houses - the 'next big event'.

"Sorry lass, but the Badgers have no chance" Graham said to Faith in faux sadness.

Peter nodded "Ya, you should see them, I mean the team, enter our common room after training – they swagger."

Faith eyed her girlfriend but then shrugged and started a very heated debate about the sport. Saeko just sighed and looked at Helena who rolled her eyes at the squabble.

After they had eaten Saeko whisked Faith away from her friends, wanting to spend some more time with her. She just hoped they could refrain talking about quidditch for the rest of the day.

After a small debate as where to go the couple made their way to a small hill just outside the village. Saeko, always the one to show off, conjured two small cushions to sit on. Taking a leaf out of Shikamaru's book Saeko lied down and watched the clouds slowly travel above them. Faith seemed to contemplate something but then she laid her head on the ninja's abdomen and she too directed her gaze upwards.

The raven-haired felt peaceful, a thing that was rare indeed in Konoha, but also a bit sleepy. To keep them awake she said "Tell me about your first trip to Diagon Alley."

"I already told you that, didn't I?" Faith said sleepily.

"Not really, you told me how McGonagall showed up your doorstep and told you were a witch and all that but I want your first impression of the true magical world" Saeko replied while caressing her girlfriend's chocolate locks on her stomach.

Faith hummed in appreciation "Well, MG picked me up…"

"Wait, MG?" the Uchiha chuckled.

"Yes, problem?" Faith countered.

Saeko chuckled once more "Not really, it's just funny. Do go on."

"Hm. I don't know what I was expecting but the Leaky Cauldron wasn't it" Faith continued, ignoring Saeko's smirk, "I was told how I was entering the world of magic so I prepared myself for something like from Buffy - the vampire slayer."

Saeko interrupted "Let me guess, that's a TV show."

"Yes, now hush." The Puff said playfully, "After the dingy bar and the rubbish yard, always a nice touch, the moving wall was awesome. It calmed me down. It was proof the magical world really existed and I was not led to be a virgin sacrifice somewhere. The first thing I noticed were definitely the clothes the people wore – robes and hats? I remember thinking we were on a movie set."

Saeko interrupted "Wait, didn't your mum come too?"

"Nope, she was working on something huge and couldn't get away. Anyway, our first stop was Gringotts" Faith continued her tale.

If Saeko didn't think her girlfriend had a flair for the dramatic she would've changed her mind sometime during the retelling. Granted, it was full of movie and book references that Saeko didn't get, but she hadn't laughed this much in a long time.

When it was time to return to the Castle the raven summoner sighed, she had enjoyed this outing immensely. The two girls collected their bags, most of them being from Honeyduke's, and slowly made their way back.

Once in the Entrance Hall Saeko gave back the bags she was carrying for the Brit "You were right, Hogsmeade is not much but I enjoyed it anyway."

"Me too. Much better than last year" Faith winked.

"I'm glad" Saeko grinned, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow?"

The Hufflepuff nodded "Sure, I'll write you."

The couple shared a kiss, a chaste one, both mindful of the audience. As they parted Faith murmured "I love you, see you tomorrow."

"I love you too" Saeko replied. Hearing it was still new and more than a little strange, saying it even more so. She cared for the busty brunette a great deal but love? She had just turned fourteen and she was keeping quite a few secrets from the Puff – a big romance, like from the movies that Faith enjoyed so much, was pretty much impossible.

Still, she stole another kiss from the muggleborn, waved her goodbye and headed towards the Ravenclaw common room.

* * *

><p><strong>Jamie<strong>**'s room**

The Ravenclaw quidditch team sat on various places in their captain's room. Jamie had decided to hold their pre-match meeting there since it was pouring outside and their Common Room was too full and noisy. Plus she needed her charts.

The upper years had definitely more room but still had to share between two of them. Nothing much stood out – just endless shelves of books. Jamie's roommate had a lone poster but it was impossible to say what it normally showed since the object was missing - it clearly fled when the whole Ravenclaw quidditch team came through the door.

"So this is it," Jamie announced when she finished outlining their strategy once again, "tomorrow we play for the first time this season. I'm sure all of you had notice the pressure we are under. We are last year's champions and much is expected of us. We had trained hard, harder than ever, so I believe we will prevail."

All players nodded resolutely. The blonde chaser smiled at their determination "Good. We didn't get to train today but we have practiced in the rain before. A little water won't stop us."

"A little water?" Wayne said in a fake whisper, making a show of looking out of the window. The sky itself seemed to agree with his sarcasm as a thunder roared and a flash of lightening illuminated the darkness outside.

Jamie shot the fifth-year a glare and said sweetly "It won't stop us nonetheless, right?"

"No, ma'am!" was the team's quick reply.

"Excellent" the blonde smirked, "Also check your equipment before going to bed – if one of you comes to me that he or she forgot to apply the water-repelling charm to their goggles…" she trailed out menacingly.

The Ravens dutifully nodded. Most of them had already triple checked everything from their brooms to their robes – it was just common sense.

"Very well, that's it then. Meeting concluded. Oh, just please try not to stay up too late" Jamie finished and waved them off.

The players slowly got up, bid their captain good night and went on their own business. James and Jared went to their respective rooms while the rest descended into the Common Room. With a nod Saeko separated herself from the group and went to sit with her year-mates.

"So, what's up?" the Uchiha asked as she sat down on the carpet next to Daniel.

The bespectacled boy shrugged "Nothing much, just discussing tomorrow's match."

Caitlin nodded "Yeah, shame about the rain though. Sitting in the stands will be a pain if it doesn't let up."

"You tell me" Saeko chuckled, "I can even tell you a bit of our strategy - it's called plan 'get it over with as soon as possible'."

The group laughed and nodded sagely.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

For being such a studious House the Ravenclaws sure knew how to party. This time the shindig started as soon as the majority of the students came back to the Nest – it seemed no one really doubted their Team. Another factor was the weather outside – it was so dark and stormy it might as well be midnight.

Saeko sat in a comfy armchair near the fire – the sixth year who previously occupied it was more than happy to give it up for one of their quidditch heroes. The Uchiha was not in a party mood so she just sipped her hot butterbeer and graciously accepted the congratulations and pats on the back.

"I thought sulking in a corner was my area of expertise" Helena said with a smirk when she approached her friend.

The scarred teen shrugged "Not really in the mood to party."

Helena dragged over one of the wooden chairs that were not occupied and sat down "Don't tell me you are mad that you were not the star today."

"What? No!" Saeko replied, surprised, "I couldn't be more glad Frost caught the snitch so quickly, the storm was a pain."

The blonde nodded empathically "I'll bet. But I admit it was a bit anticlimactic – you train for months, all the school is hyped up and then no epic battle. You just flew into the field like a bunch of valkyries and in fifteen minutes it was over."

Saeko grinned, really proud of their performance "Yeah, Jerry was amazing. He said it was luck but everybody knows he's the best seeker this season. I really hope he won't quit next year."

"You and half the Ravenclaw House. The second half would want to play in his spot" Helena remarked. Taking another sip of her tea the blonde smirked "But I admit I felt a little bit cheated we didn't get to see any crazy maneuvers."

The Uchiha chuckled and nodded, their stunts were fun to plan for and executing them was exhilarating "Sorry about that. Though with the rain and low visibility we wouldn't do much anyway."

Helena hummed "I guess. Also maybe it's best this way, if you were the star again Faith could get some grief. Or even better, she could be pissed at you."

Saeko gulped "True. Nonetheless my plan is to stay clear of Faith for today. Hmm, maybe the next two days, let the Hufflepuffs calm down."

"Smart move" the Brit smiled smirked.

As the kunoichi finished her butterbeer she caught an older year's robe and made her best pleading face "Could you please get me refill?"

The short haired girl looked in surprise but replied "Yeah, sure."

"Thank you" Saeko smiled brilliantly.

"I-I'll, butterbeer, r-right?" the girl stammered and upon Saeko's nod she jogged into the crowd.

"You really are milking this quidditch star thing to the maximum" Helena shook her head.

Saeko grinned "Of course. And you have been hanging around Ashley and the guys too much, you speak less formally."

Helena was aghast "Oh, dear!"

The Uchiha laughed "Oooh, your face was priceless. By the way where are the guys?"

"Around. I fled when Ashley was being chatted up by a fourth-year. Maybe fifth-year" Helena said dismissively.

"Really? Tell me more!" Saeko sat up straighter.

Before the blonde bookworm could share, the girl from before arrived with Saeko's beverage. The kunoichi smiled charmingly again and thanked her. When they were relatively alone the blonde said "I don't know anything. Ashley liked the attention but I could say she was not interested."

"Oh, pity" Saeko said in disappointment.

The two girls chatted a bit more before Daniel and Paddy joined them.

The party for Saeko ended when she felt a tug in one of her seals – it meant that Itachi wanted to speak with her. The kunoichi sighed and excused herself. She decided to go back into her room since no one would notice her disappearance. On her way up she spotted Duncan. The man avoided eye-contact which made Saeko grin and improved her mood greatly.


	35. 3- 35 Finding Fun

**AN: First update of 2015, hope you like ;-)**

* * *

><p><strong>*Finding Fun*<strong>

The combination of warm sun, full belly and History of Magic was better than chloroform, yet somehow the Ravenclaws managed to stay awake. The same could not be said for most of the Gryffindors who were happily snoring away while Binns droned on and on about Urg the Unclean.

That doesn't mean the Ravens paid attention, they long knew better. Most of the blue-tied students were working on their transfiguration homework. Helena had already finished it last night as did Peter so they were drawing and reading a comic book respectively.

Saeko laid her quill down with a sigh, the assignment for McGonagall now complete. She sealed it up and not knowing what to do next she looked around for inspiration. With another sigh she cast the _tempus_ charm and groaned at the numbers.

Not one to say idle the Uchiha unsealed a book on Chinese courses she had received for her birthday. The text contained an impressive amount of information but Saeko just couldn't focus. Reading was one of her favorite pass times but sometimes too much was too much.

Saeko cast another _tempus_ and groaned as she did not even ten minutes ago.

She was bored.

Bored.

…

Boooooooored.

Finally she decided on action and unsealed a kunai, looked at it for a moment, then splayed her hand on the table and began stabbing the space between her fingers – she saw Guy doing it for another challenge with his 'eternal rival'.

That entertained her for a little while but she became bored again and the table might not handle much more. She ignored the incredulous looks thrown her way and thought of another thing to do.

Saeko unsealed her fan. Then a shuriken.

"Are you juggling?" Helena hissed in disbelief.

Saeko's eyes never left the sharp instruments she was handling "Trying to. Never done it before."

The blonde just shook her head and returned to her drawing - a quite detailed portrait of McGonagall. The Uchiha was pretty impressed "Wow, that's really good! Hey, can you draw me? Something cool?"

"Maybe, we'll see if I'm in the mood sometime" Helena grinned, obviously pleased.

Saeko let out a loud laugh "You just sounded like a wife when her spouse asked for sex she doesn't want to put out."

The Brit went scarlet but scoffed anyway "You wish."

"Nice comeback!" Saeko grinned, impressed by the blonde again. She waited for her friend to go back to her art to have the last word but then she thought better of it and returned to her thinking of ways to escape History of Magic.

"_Shadow clones, maybe? It works for Naruto… But he has a shit-ton of chakra to just throw away. But then again she doesn__'t really _need_ chakra at Hogwarts._

_Nah, she wouldn't sink so low as to copy her rival._ _Besides, that would be cheating. And ultimately impractical."_

When the bell rang Saeko almost let out a cheer. One could only hope things get better…

* * *

><p><strong>Balcony on the 5<strong>**th**** Floor**

Faith was stunned. Saeko's message she received at breakfast said the ninja had a surprise for her if she would come to 'their' spot after all had gone to sleep but she did not expect this.

On the balcony's floor was a deep blue picnic blanket that had a sizeable thermos, two small glass bowls and a fruit platter. Faith looked at her girlfriend who sat on the low stone railing looking at her with a smile "You said Hogwarts never served chocolate mousse and you missed it."

"This is amazing" said the brunette in wonder and carefully sidestepping the blanket she approached the kunoichi, "Thank you" she breathed out and kissed the Uchiha.

Saeko grinned "I aim to please. Now, shall we?"

The two girls sat down on the blanket facing the night sky. Faith looked briefly at her girlfriend "You chose a perfect night for this, the sky is so clear you can see the stars. And it's so warm. That is actually strange."

"Ah, that would be a charm" Saeko explained, "It is November after all. Oh, and you don't need to worry about the professors or Filch – I've set up some Konoha privacy runes."

"You can already use runes in practical application?" Faith asked, astounded.

Saeko shook her head "No, this is far too advanced for me. The rune arrays are pre-made, I have them from home."

"Oh, so you are not so perfect then" the Hufflepuff teased.

"Meh" Saeko shrugged with a smile and poured her date the hot chocolate she had in the thermos.

Faith's eyes sparkled at the combo that was the chocolate dessert and beverage and immediately dived in. Saeko had to chuckle at her girlfriend's enthusiasm but also had to work on refraining on making comments at the nearly obscene sounds the Puff was making while enjoying the treats. Other than that the two girls ate mostly in silence, enjoying the night sky without the obligation to do something about it as they had to in astronomy.

Once Faith had finished the dessert, meaning licking every bit of chocolate from the bowl, she grinned "Thank you, I don't know how you did it but it was great. Seriously, thank you."

To reinforce her words the Hufflepuff leaned in and placed a deep and passionate kiss on the kunoichi. Saeko hummed and whispered against the Brit's lips "You taste sweet."

"Duh" Faith whispered back and used the hand she had on the Uchiha's cheek to bring her back for another kiss.

Sometime during their make-out session Faith moved to straddle the Ravenclaw. Saeko smiled slightly before putting her hands on the curve of Faith's ass and pulling the brunette closer to her. The Brit replied by threading her hands more firmly through the typical black Uchiha hair that Saeko had left unbound per Faith's preference.

Saeko ran her nails along the older girl's thighs and moved her mouth to caress the column of Faith's neck. The witch hummed her approval and moved her head to the side to give Saeko more space to explore.

The Puff tugged hard at the black hair in her grasp to make her girlfriend meet her lips once again. The kisses were not rushed, they were languid but still full of passion. When Saeko looked in Faith's eyes she gasped – they were dark, darker than she ever saw them, never mind the lack of light.

"Take it off" said Faith as she tugged at Saeko's shirt.

The raven summoner looked up and replied more excitement than confusion "Pardon me?"

"You heard me" the lighter brunette said huskily and took the hem of the blue shirt the Uchiha wore. Saeko raised her hands, far from protesting. When the shirt did indeed come off and Faith's lips latched themselves onto her neck Saeko's breath caught in her throat. Nonetheless she managed to rasp out "I thought you said not here and I can barely hold myself back right now."

Faith looked back into Saeko's obsidian eyes "You took me on a date under the night sky. What could be more romantic, more perfect?"

Saeko did have some ideas but instead she threaded her fingers though the wavy dark brown hair and drew Faith into a scorching kiss. Deepening it she untangled her hand from the Puff's hair and slid them over Faith's back and under her shirt she trailed her sides, gliding over smooth, heated skin. When she heard no sound of protest Saeko drew Faith's shirt up, finally taking it off completely.

Trusting Faith to say something if she felt at all uncomfortable Saeko latched her lips onto the other girl's clavicle. The Brit's quiet moan was music to the nin's ears and gave her the resolve to take the clasp of Faith's bra into her right hand. Chanting in her head _'confidence is sexy'_ Saeko unhooked the garment and in one smooth movement, one she was very proud of, she laid the Hufflepuff onto the blanket and hovered over her.

As the couple kissed again Faith returned the favor and bared Saeko's chest. Before she could do more, the Uchiha looked into Faith's eyes once more. Liking what she saw she moved her lips, licking down the valley between Faith's breasts. The Hufflepuff groaned and closed her eyes for a second.

Determined to coax another sound from her girlfriend she licked one hardening nipple. Smirking at Faith's moan she took the nipple in her mouth and sucked gently. As she was rewarded with another sound of pleasure she brought her left hand to caress the neglected tit and sucked harder.

"Oh God!" Faith breathed out, placing her left hand on Saeko's neck to keep her in place.

With a gentle bite that made Faith inhale sharply and arch into Saeko's hand and mouth, the kunoichi switched breasts.

"Saeko, please!" Faith managed to get out among soft moans. The scarred girl went back up to meet her girlfriend's lips while keeping both hands on Faith's mounds, playing with them.

With one last peck onto the Hufflepuffs mouth she placed a kiss between her Faith's breasts and one lower, onto the deceptively toned abdomen. Trailing kisses even lower she encountered the fabric of Faith's pants. Keeping her eyes on her girlfriend's face, looking for any sign of discomfort, Saeko brought her right hand down and slowly began to unbutton the jeans her girlfriend wore.

Faith brought her hips up to make easier to remove her pants. Saeko struggled a bit but finally managed to pull them down. Before she could do more Faith caught her hands, shook her head and said "You too."

Saeko nodded and half-rose to take her own trousers down. When both girls were just in their panties Saeko laid back on her girlfriend, moaning at the sensation. She wedged her thigh between Faith's legs, moaning again at the wetness she found there.

In an unexpected move Faith took Saeko's panties in her fingers and slid them down as much as she could manage. Saeko's mind finally accepted what was about to happen and led her hands to divest them both completely.

The next few moments were filled by deep kisses, pecks and licks, letting their bodies adjust to the proximity of another naked body.

Faith, taking the initiative, flipped them over. Saeko's eyes went wide but let the lighter brunette get used to her tits firmness. When Faith brought her mouth into play Saeko unconsciously licked her lips as her breathing became shallower.

The Hufflepuff lightly nibbled one of Saeko's mounds, flicking her tongue across the sensitive surface, before dropping her head to kiss lower. Murmuring in soft appreciation she traced her tongue across the toned stomach, around the navel, then descending lower still.

Once reaching Saeko's strip of hair Faith seemed at a loss. The raven summoner whispered "Come back up." Faith obliged and the couple was swept away during their most passionate kiss up-to-date.

Saeko, always the assertive one, flipped them over so she rested on top of her girlfriend. She smiled and let her right hand caress the supple lips of her soon-to-be lover. She trailed her hand down, caressed the neck, clavicle, right breast and finally Faith's stomach. With another deep kiss she used two of her fingers to trail the wetness between Faith's thighs.

The Hufflepuff jerked up and groaned into Saeko's mouth. The kunoichi explored Faith's lower lips while their tongues and lips occupied themselves with another deep kiss. When Saeko rubbed Faith's newly found clit the girl abandoned the kiss and just moaned helplessly.

Saeko bit gently on Faith's neck as she sought the places that made herself moan when she pleasured herself.

Abandoning Faith's clit for a while Saeko circled the brunette's opening and then slowly pushed one finger inside. Faith tensed up but the sound she let out was one of pleasure.

Saeko kept her pace slow but when she deemed her lover ready she entered her with two digits. Faith mumbled something as she tensed up again and scratched Saeko's back.

The Uchiha reveled in the sounds her girlfriend was making. Wanting more she used her thumb to at first caress then rub Faith's clit. The Hufflepuff let out half a scream which made Saeko grin like a loon. Eager to get another reaction she used her mouth to tease Faith's left nipple.

Faith began to shiver "Oh, God, Saeko! Yes!"

Saeko sped up her pace and used her hips to give more force to her thrusts. She rubbed Faith clit with even more vigor and soon she could recognize the clamping that preceded her own orgasms.

Finally Faith's eyes shot open as she tensed "Oh, dear Lord!"

The Uchiha could not help a proud smile as her efforts were rewarded by a gush of wetness. Reveling in the bliss on the Brit's face Saeko kept her hand in place. Only when Faith seemed to relax completely she brought the fluid covered fingers to her mouth to taste her girlfriend. She hummed in appreciation at the taste.

When Faith heard the sound she opened her eyes and smiled at the kunoichi. She opened her mouth to say something but then she thought better of it and kissed Saeko softly instead.

The Uchiha grinned. Before she could say anything she found herself under the older girl who was sporting a wicked smile. As Faith braced herself on one hand she used the other between Saeko's legs and it was her turn to moan.

X

Saeko cursed the fact it was a week day and they had classes in the morning as she accompanied Faith back to the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, both fighting off sleep.

Finally Faith stopped near the kitchen corridor and face the raven summoner "Our Basement is not far, I'll be alright. You go before Filch or someone catches you."

The Uchiha laughed "You don't want me to know where and how to enter the Hufflepuff common room, right? Smart."

"Sorry about that" the witch blushed slightly, "It just doesn't seem right to just show you."

"No, it's aright" Saeko smiled, "Well, I'll be going then. I… hm, tonight has been amazing."

Faith nodded and leaned for a gentle goodbye kiss "It was. Too bad we didn't have more time."

The kunoichi nodded, she too would've liked to explore some more or just cuddle "Yeah. Next time maybe?" she finished teasingly.

Faith laughed "Maybe. Goodnight Saeko, I love you."

"Me too, sweet dreams" Saeko replied and pecked her girlfriend on the lips one more time.

The scarred jounin watched as the Brit disappeared behind a corner. Making sure no one was watching she _shunshin_ed into a dark corridor not far from Ravenclaw Tower, too tired to climb all those stairs. Fighting off a yawn she answered the guardian's riddle and silently made her way to her room, deciding to leave her shower for the morning. Breathless and satisfied she succumbed to slumber.

X

**Next morning**

Saeko woke up with a huge smile on her face. She recalled the events that were cause for said smile and it transformed into a grin. For once Ashley was awake before the ninja and already half-way through the door. Saeko cleared her throat "Ohayo Ash-chan!"

"Mornin" the Brit mumbled, still not entirely coherent.

When the smaller brunette exited Saeko yawned and stood up to start her day. Once she was dressed and ready she went downstairs whistling.

Helena waved her over "You are more chipper than usual."

"I might be" Saeko grinned and sat on a chair, shifting slightly since she was feeling a little sore.

"Well? Don't make me ask" pressed the blonde.

It might be a bit inappropriate but Saeko just couldn't keep it to herself so she smirked and replied "I don't kiss and tell."

"Really!" Helena said, eyes wide, "Nice!" she continued when the ninja nodded with the now permanent smile on her face and presented her hand for a high-five.

"A high-five? Did Graham teach you that?" Saeko smirked.

"Caitlin did" Helena replied, "On that note a Gryff asked me out yesterday."

The Uchiha grinned "Cool! Who, how, when? Whoever he is he has good taste."

Helena smiled appreciatively "A Gryffindor fourth-year, Owen Riggs. I said no."

"Why?" the ninja asked mildly.

"He's a pretentious prick. He's the son of one of my father's associates. Oh, and I hate his hair" the blonde declared.

"His hair?"

"Shoulder-length and wavy, he looks like a girl. I leave the girl loving to you" the blonde smirked.

Saeko nodded "Oh, I know him! He's not that bad looking."

"I guess. I just don't like him" the Brit replied.

"Fair enough. He still has good taste" Saeko said with a wink.

Helena grinned.


	36. 3- 36 In Heat

**AN: Just a little filler, but necessary ;-)**

* * *

><p><strong>*In Heat*<strong>

**Saeko and Ashley****'s Room**

"Why are you doing it here? It's distracting" Ashley said with a roll of her eyes.

Helena who was reading as always just nodded while Caitlin smirked "Don't you usually train outside? That's where you always disappear, right? Before Faith that is."

Saeko never stopped doing bench dips for her triceps "Too cold outside, this is just quick workout."

"Todd and her quidditch training is not enough for you?" Helena quipped.

"We eased up a bit since the next match is in March" the jounin replied, switching to push-ups.

Ashley sighed "Pity."

The Uchiha chuckled, still not pausing her exercise "Cheer up, it makes me look amazing and it's the reason why I kick your ass in DADA duels."

"You are super quick, it's not really fair" Caitlin said grumpily, "By the way what was the spell you used last time? Against Aaron?"

"It was an old Chinese curse, I got it from a book my brother gave me. I wanted to try it out" Saeko answered.

Helena perked up at the mention of a book "Can I borrow it sometime?"

"Maybe, I'm not too sure about its legality" the ninja grinned.

The blonde nodded but Ashley said disbelievingly "You keep an illegal book here, at Hogwarts? In our room?!" she finished with a gasp. Then she grinned "Ballsy, I like it."

"Oh, that reminds me" Caitlin spoke up, "you promised you'd teach me to pick locks."

"Really? How did that happen?" Ash asked, a tad jealous.

"It was a bargain for a favour. How about after dinner?" Saeko proposed and switched to crunches.

The red-head smiled "Sweet!"

"Could I join you?" Ash asked hopefully.

"Sure, but I'll take a future favour" Saeko said jokingly but meant it quite seriously.

"Deal" the light brunette agreed.

Saeko stood up, her quick exercise finished "Just bear in mind that does not include any kinds of magical locks. Just plain muggle ones."

"I figured" the Irish girl nodded.

Ash pouted "Aww."

"I can throw in 'How to get out of handcuffs 101'" Saeko said while reaching for a glass of water.

The red-head asked "You have handcuffs?"

"Yup. My friend Anko gave them to me for my birthday. They are a bit fluffy but the lock is the same as in any pair" the scarred teen winked.

Helena uncharacteristically laughed out loud while Ash and Caitlin just shook their head. Saeko looked at her blonde friend with an arched eyebrow, hoping she would explain her reaction.

The tea connoisseur shrugged "This summer my Dad and I were at a client's house for business, I excused myself to go to the bathroom but I got the doors wrong. From the room I walked in I learned all too much about the man's… proclivities. And since the handcuffs were one of the most… how do I say it…"

"Vanilla?" Saeko proposed.

"…yes, one of the most vanilla things in there I was reminded of that sight" Helena finished.

Ash and Caitlin just gaped while it was Saeko's turn to laugh "That must've been something. Did you like it? It's always the quiet ones, you know."

Helena looked scandalized but said nothing. The Uchiha grinned broadly "Ah, I can get you a pair of handcuffs, your own birthday is approaching. And the kink was born!"

The blonde rolled her eyes and went back to her book. Seeing she could not be teased anymore Saeko went through her things and selected a new shirt to wear "And on that note, I'm off to see Faith. I'll see y'all at dinner. Ta!"

"Don't forget your bondage!" Ashley called out to the kunoichi's retreating form, giggling.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

The students chuckled at the sight of three Ravenclaw second-years that were turned bright blue, an obvious prank. Word around was that the three in question claimed that the Gryffindors were lousy in Potions in front of the Weasley twins. It seems they were proven wrong.

Other than that breakfast progressed as usual. Once the owls arrived the third year Ravens began discussing the news the Daily Prophet brought.

"So they finally caught him" Graham said with glee.

"Yup. Ulric Wilkerson – look at him," Daniel said and held out the journal, "he even looks like scum."

Saeko took the offered page "Yeah, it helps the aurors when the criminals look the part."

"May he rot in Azkaban. Kidnapping, torturing and killing four women…" Caitlin trailed out with a shake of head.

Daniel took his Prophet back "Three. He didn't get the last one. She is at St Mungos."

"Still, it's horrible they caught him so late" Helena chimed in.

Daniel jumped to the aurors' defense "He's in Azkaban now, that's all that matters."

"I've read about the _dementors_ – that are really something. I approve wholeheartedly" Saeko said with conviction.

Ashley took interest "Do you have something like them in Konoha?"

The ninja shook her head "No, just regular cells. The prison doesn't even have an ominous name. But, hey, we had no escapes so far."

"What's it called?" Daniel asked.

Saeko shrugged "Konoha Correctional Facility. As I said, nothing special."

"Hey, if it keeps the criminal in, it's special enough" Caitlin reasoned.

Peter nudged Daniel "Did you ever think of becoming an auror yourself one day? You are always pretty invested when news like this come up."

"Not to mention all that criminal novels you read" Graham chipped in.

The bespectacled teen put down the paper "I, I don't know. I haven't thought about it. I don't really have a plan yet."

"Just a thought" Peter nodded.

"I guess it would be cool" Daniel said, clearly thinking about it seriously.

Saeko smiled "You are pretty good at DADA and great in transfiguration. Those are the basics, no?"

Daniel sighed "I suck at potions though."

"If they got rid of Snape everybody's grades would shoot up" Ashley scoffed.

"I'll think about it. I guess I would love the investigative aspect" the bespectacled teen nodded.

Graham jumped in "I'd much rather be a _hit wizard_ - much more action and cool uniforms."

"I actually agree with Graham" Saeko grinned – being a ninja was similar to being a _hit-wizard_ most of the time, "One can really let loose."

"You can't be seen by muggles, that's quite a restriction" Caitlin countered.

Saeko shrugged "Not really, one can work around that."

"I guess, you are the military brat in this group" Ashley grinned.

"Oh yeah" Graham lit up, "Ash's right, I didn'trealize.**"**

The Uchiha smiled broadly "Yep."

"So nice that all of you have a plan" Caitlin said tad bitterly.

"We are third-years" Helena contributed with a roll of her eyes, "plenty of time for grand plans."

"Speaking of plans, I have a hot date" Saeko smirked.

The group groaned, all too used to this sentence by now. As the raven-haired was leaving she heard Graham say "Speaking of which, Helena, any plans for the evening?"

"Forget it" was the reply, followed by everybody's laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Transfiguration Classroom<strong>

"_Kuso_, _kuso_, _kuso_!" Saeko swore as she came barreling through the classroom door – the last thing you want to do is to come late to a McGonagall's class. She sat down beside Daniel and let out an elated breath.

The bespectacled boy murmured "You barely made it, where were you?"

From the Slytherin side of the room Aurora Gallaher fake-whispered "Gallivanting with that mudblooded whore of hers no doubt."

"Jealous, Rora dear?" Saeko said with a smirk, "I'm sorry but you are too bitchy to be my type."

Most of the Ravenclaws sniggered, even some Snakes hid a smile. Aurora let out an unladylike snort and opened her mouth to reply but the bell rang and McGonagall entered the room.

As the lesson progressed – the stern professor was explaining the mechanics behind the transfiguration from hedgehog to pincushion – Saeko was looking for an opportunity to get back to the Slytherin queen bee. The ninja did not appreciate the term 'mudblood', especially if flung against her girlfriend and fully intended to extract some kind of revenge. Just a prank, maybe more than one, poisoning the girl would be a massive overkill.

The opportunity came when Gallaher looked at the Uchiha, why she did not know, but she immediately activated her sharingan. Eyes met eyes and Saeko subtly vowe a simple sleep genjutsu. Aurora's lids dropped and the girl herself quietly folded herself on her table, asleep.

It didn't take long for McGonagall to notice "Miss Gallaher! Am I boring you?"

The blonde Slytherin's head jerked up, she was clearly confused from her short but deep slumber. When she realized the situation she paled "I, I…"

"Twenty points from Slytherin and see me after class for detention" the Scot said angrily, "I expected more from you miss Gallaher."

The Snakes murmured their dissatisfaction and shot several irritated glances the blonde's way. Saeko savored her foe's confusion, embarrassment and anger as she would fine liquor. The Slytherin might eventually suspect her sleep was magically induced but since no one had their wands out… Saeko's mood improved immensely. This might've been childish but hey, she was 14 and her brother was always nagging she should lighten up.

The rest of the class went by smoothly, no more incidents aside those natural to transfiguration. As Saeko produced her own pincushion several times, with points to Ravenclaw, she thought that after the bell rang she should find Faith again, "_This definitely deserves a reward."_

When the bell finally rang Saeko nodded to her friends "I'll see ya at dinner" and took off in direction of the North Tower to intercept her girlfriend as she finished Divination.

One discreet _shunshin_ later Saeko leaned against a wall near the stairs that the fourth-years slowly descended. She spotted the Hufflepuff she was looking for and smirked. _"Man, I feel like I'm in heat lately. I might be a hormonal teenager but I'm a ninja! I have more self-control than this…"_

"Hey. Did MG let you out early?" Faith asked when she reached the raven summoner.

"_Ok, I don__'t, maybe next time…"_ the Uchiha thought. She grinned at her girlfriend "Something like that. Can you spare a moment for me?"

Faith smiled coyly "Always."

Once they found and empty room Saeko locked the door and slapped a seal on it. Wasting no more time the scarred teen pushed Faith against the wall and kissed her, hard.

Faith's hands reached for the black braid while Saeko's went under the Puffs vest. "_Kami_ how I hate uniforms sometimes. Take it off."

"Frisky aren't we?" said the light brunette with an arched eyebrow.

"Aye, we are. Off, now."

* * *

><p><strong>Raven Dorms<strong>

Saeko crept up into her and Ashley's room as quietly as she could, hoping not to wake up her roommate. She was unsuccessful.

"Where were you? " Ashley's sleepy voice could be heard from the darkness.

"Meeting with Faith" the ninja whispered.

"Slut" the Brit said with an amused snort.

The Uchiha laughed "I'm just gonna grab a shower. Goodnight."

"Night"


	37. 3- 37 Delightfully Dull December

**AN: I have been convinced to write one more lemon... Last one in quite a while though**

* * *

><p><strong>*Delightfully Dull December*<strong>

Saeko had Faith backed up against the rear wall of 'their' balcony, kissing her deeply and without rush. The ninja wore just a button down shirt despite the cold which now hung open, displaying her bare breasts – she had forgone the bra since the nature of the meeting was basically a booty call.

Faith's top had been discarded and lay on the stone floor along with her jacket and bra. Enjoying the freedom to explore Saeko scraped over the Puff's ribs, causing Faith to disconnect their lips and catch a breath. The kunoichi moved her hands and caressed the underside of Faith's breasts, eliciting a quiet groan.

With one final tug on Faith's lower lip Saeko moved onto the exposed neck, her hands roaming over the Brit's soft flesh of her tits and stomach. Faith tilted her head to the side to give more room to play and Saeko let out an appreciative hum.

Moving lower still Saeko used her tongue to tease the hardened nipple. Faith moaned in response and fisted her hand in the black hair. Trading one stiff peak for the other caused the light brunette to buck slightly under the ninja's touch.

"Patience, my dear" Saeko murmured patronizingly.

"You are evil" Faith breathed out.

The Uchiha chuckled and captured the dark pink nipple between her teeth and bit down gently. At Faith's whimper she soothed the peak with her tongue. Switching tits again Saeko sucked hard, getting something akin to a mewl in return.

While Saeko's mouth was occupied her fingers went to the Puff's belt. Few seconds later the ninja returned back up and brushed her lips against Faith's. The light brunette's eyes snapped open and she breathed out "Please!"

Saeko smirked smugly and slowly kneeled. Faith moaned at the sight of her girlfriend kneeling, taking her pants down with her. Getting rid of them completely Saeko tenderly kissed Faith's stomach while she took off the last barrier between her and her prize.

Nipping at one thigh the kunoichi urged the leg on her shoulder. Faith looked unsure but Saeko looked up "Trust me."

Saeko lowered her mouth to the slippery folds and took a long lick. Faith let out the loudest sound yet. The ninja couldn't help her grin as she proceeded to eat out her girlfriend.

"Oh, God!" the Brit exhaled and threaded her fingers into the Uchiha's black hair and pressed Saeko closer to her.

The kunoichi let her tongue explore, not minding the whispered pleas. Finally relenting Saeko's lips found Faith's clit. Alternating rough licks and fast flicks was rewarded by an almost violent thrust upwards, needing more.

Despite almost getting lost in the whimpers of her lover Saeko dove in deep, letting her tongue caress Faith's insides. The witch scratched the wall behind her, maybe trying to ground herself in some way.

Saeko moved back to Faith's clit and teased it lightly. Another loud sound made her grin and move to finish. The ninja's lips closed over the bud and she sucked, hard.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my GOD!" and a gush of wetness were her answer. With a surge of pride the nin tried to prolong her girlfriend's orgasm as long as she could.

When the shivers of pleasure subsided Saeko asked playfully, her voice deep and scratchy "Another?"

"I don't think I can" Faith breathed out, her eyes closed.

"You think or truly cannot?" the Uchiha smirked wickedly.

Not waiting for an answer Saeko thrust two fingers in her girlfriend's heat, curling upwards, staying clear of the clit, knowing it would be too sensitive right now. Faith let out an incoherent sound and let her head fall back on the wall with a thud. Slowly and steadily she was brought to one more peak, less explosive than the previous one but no less pleasurable.

When Faith recovered she opened her eyes and whispered "No more please."

Saeko merely smiled and gently kissed her girlfriend's abdomen in reply. Still holding the lighter brunette up the ninja stood and connected their lips in a kiss.

"I love tasting myself on you" Faith hummed.

The scarred Uchiha hummed as well "I love when you talk dirty to me, but right now I would love your mouth doing something else"

"So demanding."

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko tried knocking at Helena's door but since no one answered she made her way downstairs in search for the blonde. She grinned when she spotted her friend with their little poker group, talking while shuffling cards.

"Konbanwa" the Uchiha smiled at her classmates before turning to Helena "Could I bother you for some tea? The strong one you brewed me last week?"

"I could but you wouldn't sleep much tonight. Why do you need it for? We have no homework due tomorrow" the blonde witch said with a confused frown.

The brunette shrugged "I'm working on the DADA essay Deirdre gave us today."

"Still?" Ashley interjected, "You were working on it before dinner for at least two hours."

"It's just too fascinating a topic" Saeko grinned in delight.

Daniel looked at his friend shrewdly "How many pages did you write?"

"Oh, twenty? Twenty two? Maybe" the brunette said sheepishly while thinking _"Ooops."_

The group face-palmed. Peter smirked "Fascinating my ass, you just want to impress Deirdre."

"I'm already her star pupil. The assignment is about fire! Fire! Of course I went a bit overboard" the Uchiha defended.

"Pyro" Ash grumbled good-naturedly. The group nodded sagely.

Daniel patted the spot next to him and said with a patronizing smile "Why don't you play with us for a while. Then you can go back to the essay and shorten it in half. It's still more that it was required but I guess that's it for your restraint in the matter."

Saeko did her best puppy dog eyed expression, complete with the tearing up but Daniel didn't budge. Finally she sighed sadly "Alright. I guess it's reasonable. I might continue the project on my own though."

Ashley rolled her eyes but said nothing. Helena smiled approvingly and began dealing cards while the group formed a more regular circle.

Saeko counted the chips she received from Daniel, just a force of habit more than suspicion. Her two cards were an eight of spades as well as a nine of the same color. Her long hours on both the Clan Council and Village Council helped her contain her satisfaction with her draw.

"Speaking of homework" Caitlin began while frowning at her cards, "You could help me with the Divination one."

"Really? What's it about?" Graham asked.

Helena rolled her eyes, her distaste for that subject was well-known, and revealed the _flop_. During the betting Caitlin answered "We are studying the Zodiac now. We are supposed to make a profile on our classmates or whoever, one for each sign and then compare it in class just before Yule, thus making a common profile."

The next card was turned, a king of hearts.

"What does the profile consist of?" Saeko asked.

"We are supposed to extrapolate main character traits and attributes" Caitlin sighed.

Daniel arched his eyebrow "Why do you need us then? Aren't you supposed to do this by observation?"

"In theory, yes, but it would be easier to do it in a group" the red-head pleaded.

The Ravens looked at each other and ultimately agreed. It might be fun after all. The _river_ was turned and the final betting round ensued among the remaining players.

Ashley, who was most definitely trying to bluff through the round, asked "How do we start then Kate?"

The ginger smiled and retrieved a journal from her bag "The standard Zodiac signs are determined by birthday."

After Daniel's victory with a full-house the games progressed as Saeko was identified as the lone Scorpio of the group. Doing Caitlin's assignment was surprisingly fun and strangely enlightening - it's always interesting to know what other think of you. The Uchiha relished in hearing she was resourceful, observant or fiercely independent. _"I guess I do deserve the obsessive, suspicious and manipulative labels as well."_

Caitlin was ecstatic about the amount of work they managed to do, only few other signs remained which she could do on their own. "Thank you guys, I owe you."

"On that note I'm going upstairs to my essay. Apparently I have some shortening to do" Saeko said with a smirk as she counted her chips.

"Good girl" Daniel said patronizingly, trying unsuccessfully to contain his grin.

"Cheeky bastard" Saeko replied with a small smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Infirmary<strong>

"I'm so, so sorry" Saeko said again as she led Jamie Todd towards the school infirmary.

The quidditch captain smiled weakly "It's not your fault, I wasn't paying attention."

Madame Pomfrey looked up from the file she was reading, stood up hastily and went towards Jamie who was bleeding "Sit down over here my dear. What happened?"

"A minor quidditch accident" the blonde said, sitting heavily on the indicated bed.

The nurse looked sharply at Saeko, her stare demanding answers. The scarred teen obliged sheepishly "She got hit by a bludger just behind her ear. Subsequently she fell from her broom but we were flying low. Still she broke her leg but I fixed it…"

"FIXED?!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed and went to check Saeko's work. A diagnostic spell later the elder woman nodded "Everything seems in order, you did well dear. Anything else besides the head wound?"

Saeko shook her head "No ma'am."

Jamie nodded "Just some scrapes and bruises."

"I'm really sorry, I was positive you saw it approaching."

"It's alright. It happened, get over it" the chaser said in mild annoyance and patted Saeko on her arm, "I'm ok."

The Uchiha nodded and let the nurse do her job. When Madame Pomfrey was done she stood up to fetch some potions to accelerate the healing of the scrapes and bruises Saeko asked "Lauren's not around?"

The healer shook her head and handed two small sized bottles. Jamie frowned at the smell but drank them quickly. Madame Pomfrey smiled tightly "Good. Now I hope you will be more careful next time."

Both thanked the elderly nurse and made their way out of the infirmary. Saeko escorted her captain to the Ravenclaw Tower despite the blonde's insistence that she was perfectly alright.

"Please don't tell me you are going to tuck me in" Jamie joked when the raven summoner pointed sternly at the chaser's bed.

Saeko smirked "If you say pretty please. If you really wanted I could even sing you to sleep but that sleep would probably be of the permanent kind."

The fair teen chuckled "Funny. Now please get out."

"Alrighty" the Uchiha smiled. With one foot out of the door she turned back "Once again, I'm sorry. Sweet dreams." Jamie smiled and made a shooing motion. The Uchiha smiled as well and closed the door behind her.

Since Ashley informed her that the group would be in the library while she was on the quidditch pitch Saeko decided to head there. As she went through the Common Room she noticed her favorite prefect surrounded by a mountain of books. "Hello Geoffrey. Tough homework?"

The seventh year jumped in surprise "Oh, hello Saeko. I'm preparing for NEWTs."

"Already?" the Uchiha said, impressed.

Geoffrey sighed and rubbed his eyes "Yeah. We are already in the middle of the term and those exams dictate our future."

"You need top marks for the Ministry, right?" the raven summoner said knowingly.

"Indeed" the prefect said and rubbed his tired eyes, "I already failed to achieve the Head Boy status so I need to compensate."

Saeko nodded "Still bitter about that, huh?"

The older Raven shot her a glare but shrugged "A bit, yes."

"It won't matter, the Ministry will be lucky to have you. Which department interests you anyway?" the girl asked.

"At first I wanted to join the Unspeakables, for the research you know, but now I think the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes would suit me best" Geoffrey mused.

The Uchiha hummed "Sounds good."

"Yup" the boy nodded, "But I need to study for it."

"Is that a polite shove off?" Saeko chuckled.

Geoffrey smiled sheepishly "I really need to finish this."

Saeko shrugged "If you say so. Though, you should take a break from time to time so you don't burn out."

"Don't worry" the seventh year smiled, "I get so intense about it only on weekends."

"Okay" Saeko smiled, "Take care."

The prefect nodded gratefully went back his books. The Uchiha sighed, remembering how the Hokage and her brother were worried about her over focus, but nonetheless she left him to his own devices.

According to her previous plan she made her way to the Library. She nodded to Madame Pince who shot her a preliminary glare. Saeko chuckled quietly and went to look for her friends. She went off course once again when she spotted a familial red-head.

The Uchiha plopped down on the chair next to her Slytherin friend and exclaimed "Two people today blew me off, you are going to entertain me."

"Really now? I see you don't save your innuendo for Gallaher" Lauren looked up from the Runes textbook.

"Huh? I hadn't noticed." _Anko would be so disappointed._

"Happy accident then?" the Snake smirked, clearly amused.

"Those are my lines! Did we body swap or something?" Saeko said in mock horror.

"You wish" Lauren kept her smirk.

The scarred teen cocked her head to the side and stared appraisingly at the red-head with a smirk of her own "To answer that I would need to do a thorough assessment."

"In your dreams" the Slytherin shook her head in mock exasperation.

"Already there" Saeko winked.

"What would Faith say?"

The Uchiha pouted "Spoilsport. So what are you doing?"

Lauren held up the runes book "Knitting a sweater."

"You are hilarious today" Saeko rolled her eyes.

"I try. So did you need something?" Lauren asked.

The Leaf nin shrugged "Not really. How are Lexie and Soldy?"

"Good. They are behind on the Potions homework and freaking out a bit" the red-head said while putting her book down.

Saeko nodded sagely "That I do understand. I imagine Snape is even tougher on you about this stuff when behind closed doors."

"He is. And he's been in a mood lately - the Weasley twins are apparently waging a campaign against Slytherin. It's been very annoying since they don't discriminate" Lauren sighed.

"Well, at least you can get a breather during Yule" the Uchiha smiled.

The Slytherin grimaced "No such luck, I'd be better off staying here. My family hosts a party. Formal robes and all that."

Saeko couldn't help but chuckle "Sucks to be you. Meanwhile I'll be with my friends in a bar."

"Bitch" Lauren said with no real fire.

"Such strong language" the Uchiha smirked, "It doesn't go well with formalwear."

The red-head glared.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

"Finally some snow! I thought we would just be freezing and have nothing from it!" Ashley exclaimed in delight as she danced on the white surface.

"Yeah, me too" Saeko said, clear that she hoped it would be so.

Helena frowned "Why are we here? You know I hate the cold. If you want any adventures in winter wonderland you should've asked Caitlin or the boys."

"They are coming too" Ash said with glee, "I just couldn't wait any longer."

"Yeeey" the blonde's voice dripped with sarcasm.

As the smallest Raven began to amass snow for a sculpture or something of the sort Saeko asked her blonde friend "Where are you going over Christmas anyway?"

Helena shrugged "I don't think so, just a quiet Yule with the family. There are several parties but I think I will have to attend only the one at Malfoy Manor."

"Malfoy is the pureblood bigwig, right?" the brunette said in realization. _"The one that is close to the Minister. Glad Fudge had enough brain not to say anything about his contact with Konoha. Well, even if he hadn't a subtle bit of fuinjutsu takes care of that now."_

The tea aficionado nodded "That's him. He creeps me out a bit."

"Really? How so?" Saeko asked, tad bit surprised.

Helena shrugged "He's too smooth, sleek."

"I think I understand" the ninja nodded, Jiraiya did say something similar.

"Do you know where is Ashley going? Some ruins again?" the blonde asked and looked over to the laughing brunette frolicking in the snow.

Saeko sat down on her cloak "She said she was going to her grandparents for the holidays. But I wouldn't put it pass them to go somewhere 'cool' again in the summer after their teaching tour is over."

Helena hummed "And you?"

"Same old, same old. I'll see when I'm back in Konoha. Maybe Hokage-sama will have some nice mission for me to do."

"No holiday relaxation" the blonde chuckled.

Saeko laughed "Being here is mostly a vacation, one I am enjoying immensely. Now I just have to go back to work for a while."

Their discussion was interrupted when the rest of the Ravenclaw third-years, even Michelle and her crew, joined them. Peter, Graham and Caitlin immediately joined Ashley in the snow. The brunette's enthusiasm caught even the reserved Aaron, the resident loner, and soon the Ravens were roped in an epic snowball battle royal.

The sky began to darken when the Ravens collapsed in the snow, exhausted by the fight. "I so won!" Peter declared wheezing.

"You most definitely did not!" Catlin countered.

"What is the measure of victory in a snow fight anyway?" Saeko asked, genuinely curious. In a real fight victory is quite tangible after all.

"No clue" Ash giggled, "But I won nonetheless."

Helena snorted "Sound about right. And if anyone won it was Angela."

"No way! Angela was behind cover with Michelle for the whole time!" Graham exclaimed.

"Nah, I agree. Good work Angie" Michelle said to her friend.

"Matters not, I'm starving!" Patrick interjected with a thick Irish accent.

Ashley grinned "All in favor for dinner say 'aye'."

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!" came in chorus.

"Alright troops, let's get some grub!" Ashley said with an accent Saeko could not recognize.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Great Hall<strong>

Saeko was waiting for her girlfriend to show up. They did say the goodbyes and Merry Christmas the day before, during a _private session_, but leaving for the holidays without one last peck would be bad form.

Dressed in the traditional Uchiha garb, a wide-collared shirt with the clan's crest and with the huge sealing scroll on her back Saeko was quite visible so she didn't bother looking for Faith, certain the Brit would come to her.

"Hey" the Hufflepuff in question greeted.

"Hey" Saeko replied with a smile. To be perfectly honest she couldn't wait to go back to Konoha and would prefer to portkey out right away.

"Aren't you going to be cold dressed like that? No jacket, no scarf" Faith sighed.

The jounin shrugged "No, not really."

"Well, I do like the shirt, it shows your collarbones. Thank you for wearing it, it makes me kinda proud" the brunette grinned.

Saeko arched an eyebrow "How so?"

"You did notice…"

"Notice what?"

"Never mind" Faith said innocently and promptly changed the subject. The kunoichi just shrugged and humored her girlfriend as she was talking, Saeko's mind already in Konoha.

When it was time to head for the station Saeko and Faith parted ways, both of them joining their friends for the train ride.

Once the third-year Ravenclaws boarded the train they sought out a compartment. They didn't have much of a luggage with the exception of Saeko who thought prudent not to leave ninja or illegal stuff lying around the Tower while she was away. Helena immediately whipped out a deck of cards and looked at the group with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, not really in the mood" Graham shook his head as he sat next to the blonde.

"Me neither" Saeko agreed and sat down as well.

Helena shrugged and stashed the cards "Pity."

Caitlin reached up to store her backpack. As she looked down she grinned at the sitting ninja and subtly pointed something to her friends who were still standing.

"Is that a hickey?"

…

"Oh! That's what she meant!" Saeko's eyes widened with realization.


	38. 3- 38 Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer

***Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer Summon***

It felt great having the jounin uniform on again. With the comforting weight of the Konoha flak jacket on her chest and her tantō on the small of her back she made her way to Itachi's office.

She didn't even have to knock "Come in, imouto."

"Tadaima, oniisan" Saeko grinned at the figure hunched over paperwork.

The man looked up, smiled and made a motion for the kunoichi to sit down. "I had some late lunch delivered for us, Hokage-sama is not expecting us until later."

They ate mostly in silence since Saeko would be giving a thorough debrief later, but the girl still managed to coax some village gossip from the usually taciturn ninja.

"No dessert?" the kunoichi pouted. When Itachi did not react in the slightest Saeko crossed her arms "No, really, I come back after four months and I don't even get dessert?"

The ANBU Captain sighed "What did you have in mind?"

"Dango!" Saeko grinned broadly.

Ten minutes later the scarred teen was snacking on her second skewer "You are the best niisan!"

"Hn"

"I love you too. Speaking of which, how is Eel?" the Raven inquired.

"Hn"

Saeko sighed "Now you are doing it on purpose. Come on, how is my future sister-in-law?"

Itachi sent his sister a mild glare "She is a valuable teammate. Now, if you are finished you should make your way to the Hokage Tower."

"Very well," the girl acquiesced, "but you can't escape the topic forever. Hey, is there a chance I could meet her? Preferably mask off."

"No" Itachi replied as stoically as ever.

The girl shrugged "Thought so. Pity." She stood up and bowed slightly to her Clan Head "Is there anything else?"

"No, the Hokage is waiting" the older Uchiha said with a small smirk.

Saeko bowed again and left the office. As she made her way through the Uchiha district she nodded to several people who greeted her. One of the Clan elders even stopped her to talk. The Ravenclaw was lucky that summons from the Hokage were a viable excuse to flee politics.

Once out of the Compound she used _shunshin_ to get to the Hokage Tower. She passed Maito Gai and his team who clearly just got assigned a mission judging by the shouts about youth.

She approached the Hokage's secretary, a stern older woman, "Jounin Uchiha Saeko, Hokage-sama should be expecting me."

"He is. Currently he is in a meeting with the elders Homura and Koharu, he'll be with you in a moment" said the grey-haired secretary.

Saeko nodded ad sat down in on the provided chairs. "_I could__'ve teased Itachi-nii some more. And I really should've brought something to read_" the girl thought. Instead she lost herself in a daydream which figured a certain naked Hufflepuff.

"The Hokage is ready for you" the secretary roused the Uchiha from her cloud.

"_Damn, I didn't even notice the two mummies leaving the room_" Saeko thought and entered the Hokage's office.

"Ahh, Saeko-kun, welcome back" Sarutobi said with a smile as he took out his pipe.

Saeko stood at attention "Hokage-sama."

"Report" the Professor ordered.

In the next hour Saeko briefed the Hokage on the new spells and other things that could benefit Konoha as well as passing the scroll with all the relevant information.

"Good work, Saeko-kun" Sarutobi concluded. Saeko merely nodded. "I think this mission is more than a success, you even look happy, more relaxed."

The Uchiha smiled "I guess. Tough I must confess I enjoy being a student of Hogwarts immensely. I learn so much every day. Not everything is combat related but…"

"No matter" the man waved off Saeko's concerns.

"Do you have any news about Akatsuki and Naruto?" the girl inquired.

Sarutobi shook his head "No. But no news is good news on that front."

"True" Saeko nodded, "Jiraiya-sama did send me some names of suspected Akatsuki members. I have prepared some mahoujutsu to counter their abilities like you asked, but the info I got was very sparse. I'm not S ranked yet but I think I could take the majority of them."

The elder nodded "When the time comes I will be sending my best jounin and ANBU after them, you are among them. This is premature though."

"Yes sir" the Uchiha nodded. "Do you have any special orders for me?"

The Hokage smiled "Not at the moment, do enjoy your holiday."

"Holiday? I'm taking a mission tomorrow, I can't dawdle when I'm aiming for your job" Saeko smirked.

"I expected nothing less" the monkey summoner smiled.

With this dismissal Saeko bowed and turned to leave. Her hand paused on the door "Did Tsunade-sama react in any way about the formulas I sent?"

"She did not" Sarutobi sighed, disappointed about his student's attitude.

The brunette sighed as well "Damn, I hoped to have a sannin in my corner since Naruto has Jiraiya."

Sarutobi chuckled "It's not a competition."

"Of course it is."

The man just chuckled once more and shook his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside Hokage Tower<strong>

Not long after returning to Konoha Saeko had been swooped by Team 10 for a quick mission. Shikamaru just spotted her on the street, looked at Asuma and said "_You said back-up, I found back-up_." Next thing she knew she was all suited up and going on a simple detaining mission.

Only three days later Saeko had another B-rank under her belt and without a drop of blood for a change. When the team broke up after getting their payment the two jounins trailed behind.

"The brats really grew up" Asuma said with a sigh.

"They did. Chouji and Ino the most. Hell, even Shika seems more motivated" the brunette smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far" Asuma laughed. "I did well."

"You did. But don't you regret not having a student you could really teach, truly shape? Pass your techniques, be known as their sensei? InoShikaChou is just that – InoShikaChou" the kunoichi asked.

Asuma thought for a second but then shrugged "No. They were great students and they are an even better team. I'm proud of having a hand in their education. Besides, most of my techniques are built around wind chakra. I could count people with fūton in Konoha on one hand. Maybe if I'm fortunate enough to have a family I could pass my techniques then."

"Fūton's great, though I must confess that despite having the affinity I use wind mainly for my blade and to augment my fire techniques" Saeko said. Unlike most of her clan she stuck with her perfected techniques – mainly fire for offence and earth for defense. She was more than good with the other elements as well but she used them to surprise her enemy or to counter enemy elements.

Asuma smirked "You _are_ known for having the hottest flames in Konoha Amaterasu-chan. If I'm not mistaken Uchiha Madara had the same affinities."

"Yup. It boosts my standing in the clan considerably. But I'm training all elements as any good Uchiha should. While we are on topic, do you have any good tips?" the brunette asked.

"Don't you have a huge library in your compound? Books on every ninja discipline and justus that would make many ninjas drool?"

"Sound about right" Saeko smirked.

Asuma chuckled and took a pack of cigarettes from his flak jacket. He offered one to the girl. Saeko just waved her hand in negative and the Sarutobi shrugged and lit up his cigarette. Letting out a perfect smoke circle he looked sideways at Saeko "You know, this is my best and favorite fūton exercise."

"Smoking?" the scarred kunoichi arched her eyebrows.

"I coat my lungs with a thin layer of wind chakra to protect them" the bearded shinobi explained.

Saeko was impressed "Focusing elemental chakra internally and only in one place. That is really something."

Asuma grinned proudly and offered the pack again "Smoke?"

The raven summoner was hesitant but also curious "Alright. Any tips?"

"You are a genius, figure it out" the former Ninja Guardian grinned.

Putting the cancer stick between her lips she lit it up with a small katon jutsu and inhaled tentatively. After a small coughing fit she tried again, ignoring Asuma's chuckle.

"Good, good" bearded shinobi grinned. In an instant the grin vanished and was replaced by sheer fear "Please don't tell Kurenai!"

" Blackmail material " Saeko sing-songed and took another drag.

* * *

><p><strong>Takeji<strong>**'s Bar**

Saeko entered the crowded place, looking for her most unlikely friend she had in Konoha. Anko wasn't hard to find, one just had to follow the noise.

"Finally! You owe me booze Uchiha!" the snake mistress bellowed when Saeko joined her at the table. Genma and Ebisu greeted her as well in a less perky fashion but were also adamant that the first round was on the brunette.

Saeko sighed and stood up again to head for the bar. Nodding to her colleagues and acquaintances as well as her clansmen on her way she bought Anko's favorite sake, being an awesome friend and all. She returned to the tokubetsu jounins with her offering.

"Aaah, I love this stuff from Kaminari no Kuni" Anko smacked her lips.

Genma took the bottle and poured the alcohol. He grinned devilishly "Me too, I sure missed you Saeko."

Saeko laughed "You know next round is on you, right?"

The senbon chewing ninja pouted. Ebisu fiddled with his glasses "Sounds fair. Saeko-san did just return from a long solo mission and is departing again soon."

"Yes, you should be totally paying for me as a welcome back, not the other way around" the witch took her glass triumphantly.

The purple-haired kunoichi just scoffed "Pff, you are loaded Uchiha, you can afford it."

"Doesn't mean that I should" Saeko countered and raised her glass, "Any idea for a toast? By the way where is Raidō?"

"On a mission. Sooo, to Konoha?" Gemna proposed.

Ebisu shrugged while Anko seemed to disagree "Nah, to the Uchiha brat, may she return safely again."

"Aww, you do care" the raven summoner chuckled.

"As long as you know that you _are_ a brat" the purplette smirked, "To the brat!"

"To the brat!" Genma echoed loudly as he evaded Saeko's elbow to his gut.

The bespectacled jounin looked at his friend disapprovingly and just raised his glass at Saeko and drank quietly.

Saeko took a dainty sip from her glass and said good-naturedly "It's brat-sama to you. Being full jounin and all."

"Bah" Anko rolled her eyes, "So, still can't tell me what this mission you do is about?"

"Nope. So what's new in Konoha?" Saeko asked eagerly. Ino did help her catch up on the gossip while she was on mission with Team 10 but Anko _knew_ stuff.

As the group conversed Saeko couldn't help but notice that she really missed this, talking with other ninja, people who understood this life. Even during their most light-hearted conversation – Ebisu ranting about Konohamaru and cursing Naruto's influence – some kind of edge was still present.

Sometime during the evening Takahiro entered the bar. Saeko immediately snagged him and asked if Yuuko was around since Anko did not know.

"She's doing some kind of Yamanaka camping" the doton user answered.

"Camping? Saeko asked, bewildered.

Takahiro shrugged "I don't really know. All I know she is out of Konoha with some other Yamanaka, doing mental stuff."

"Oh, pity" Saeko nodded her acknowledgement.

The muscled teen smirked "You can bang her when she comes back."

The Uchiha just rolled her eyes. Takahiro took his beer and said "I'm here with friends, you wanna join?"

"I'm as well. See ya around then. Oh, and your new goatee? Please do shave."

X

**Saeko****'s Room**

"Little sister?" Itachi called after knocking.

Saeko jerked up "Whaa-?"

"Little sister?" the Clan Head repeated with a hint of worry.

The girl groaned, clutching her head in pain. With as little movement as possible she grasped the glass of water she had nearby.

Itachi finally entered the room unprompted. One look at his sister he sighed in exasperation and averted his eyes "Ah, I wondered why you didn't show up at our training."

"Uugh, hangover. Speak quietly" the girl whispered.

"Hm, I could get here Maito Gai for training" Itachi uncharacteristically grinned.

The Ravenclaw looked at her brother utterly horrified "You sure you are not T&I?"

"What, not youthful enough?" the shinobi teased.

"Definitely not" Saeko said while cringing in pain.

Itachi smiled benevolently "I'll get you some painkillers. You rest up. But I fully expect you for training before dinner. And I sincerely hope this will not be a recurring event."

"No, I'm not drinking ever again" Saeko whined.

The ANBU chuckled "I'm sure." With that sarcastic comment Itachi left.

Saeko finished her water and stood up to get some more. Her head spun around and she quickly crawled to her bathroom where she proceeded to puke her guts out.

"_I hate Anko. And sake. But mainly Anko. And her stupid drinking games."_

* * *

><p><strong>Hokage<strong>**'s Office**

"Hokage-sama summons you for a mission" said a masked ANBU as soon as Saeko opened the doors.

The girl nodded and immediately went to retrieve her mission kit. Leaving a note for her brother she ran to the Tower via rooftops. Once she was outside Sarutobi's office she was immediately let in.

"Uchiha-kun, good. Now that the team is complete I'll brief you" the elder began. Saeko stood at attention while looking at her soon-to-be teammates. One other jounin, one tokubetsu jounin and five chuunin. This meant something big.

"Jiraiya-kun sent word about an abandoned Orochimaru lab in the Land of Vegetables. We don't know what happened but there should be no to minimal resistance. You are to retrieve anything useful my old student might've left behind and then destroy the facility. This is an A-rank, jounin Mimura is in charge with jounin Uchiha as your second. Any questions?"

"What if we run into Orochimaru?" asked a male Hyuuga.

As always as the traitor came up in conversation Sarutobi sighed and closed his eyes "Jiraiya is sure Orochimaru is currently somewhere in Grass. Nonetheless if you do encounter him, jounin Uchiha will be the one to engage."

The group nodded their assent. Saeko did as well but a small shiver of fear trickled down her back. Orochimaru was powerful, his S-rank well-earned, and it would be the first time fighting someone of his caliber if you discount Itachi. Though, she was confident that if everything failed the Mangekyō Sharingan would grant her victory.

Since there were no more questions the team made their way to the Konoha gates at top speed. Once there the captain, a bearded shinobi in his thirties, addressed them "I was informed that Orochimaru's base would be quite big but composed of mainly narrow spaces. We will be mostly fighting in close quarters. We will split up to cover more ground once inside – Uchiha, you will be taking Hyuuga Sayuri, Nara Fumie and Uchida Shin."

Saeko looked at her team – why a Hyuuga was obvious. It was confirmed when the pale-eyed woman introduced herself as a taijutsu specialist and scout. The Nara will be useful as well since the base will probably flooded with shadows. The only man under her command was heavily scarred and very buff with a slightly insane glint in his eyes. Uchida Shin specialized in traps, shinobi tools and explosives. He will be the one to bring the base down when the Konoha shinobi will be finished with it.

The second team was composed by Mimura Hamaki , a tantō user like Saeko with several tricks up his sleeves, another Hyuuga who doubled as the team's medic, a Kurama genjutsu specialist and Uchida Fumiaki - Shin's younger brother.

The brunette nodded and introduced herself as well. By the way the team behaved it was clear they all worked together at some point. Saeko thought she was added as a failsafe against Orochimaru or anyone else who would require a heavy hitter. Her hypothesis was validated by the fact that all other members specialized mainly in close range while the Uchiha preferred burning infernos that would be discouraged in tight spaces like those they were about to enter.

X

**Land of Vegetables**

The information they got from Jiraiya seemed good so far. The base was just like described so Saeko readied her tantō and wand but also ready to cast a genjutsu at a moment's notice with her sharingan.

"I have some chakra signatures but nothing that would indicate Orochimaru" said the Hyuuga. Saeko was relieved but also a bit disappointed – if she won and survived the encounter with the traitor her run for Hokage would be easier by far.

The resistance so far was minimal and swiftly taken care of. Saeko's team made their way to what seemed a laboratory. It was dimly lit, someone was clearly still around.

"Look around for anything useful but don't let your guard down" the Uchiha instructed.

The team merely nodded and split up to look through the papers that were left behind. Saeko did not join them, she waited for their enemy to show up. It was not probable she would be so lucky as to capture a scientist – the base was abandoned with just some of Orochimaru's failed experiments lurking in the shadows.

After sealing off some objects of interest they moved to another room. As the team entered they found approximately four bodies all chopped up. But none of them were human. The parts were weirdly shaped and colored, one head had distinct horns for example.

"Someone is here. My orders stand" the brunette said quietly.

Half-way through the new paperwork the Hyuuga chuunin alerted "Incoming. One strange signature, quite large."

Saeko's eyes immediately turned red and soon she could hear a cocky voice said from the other end of the room "I want those papers."

"Oh? Why do you need them?" Saeko asked amiably.

The owner of the voice stepped out of the shadow. He was a pale blue haired teenager with pointy teeth like the Kiri ninja favored but he had no headband. _"A missing nin perhaps? Or one of Orichimaru's pets."_

"Konoha ninja, huh? I guess I can't persuade you to leave the papers" the teenager murmured and turned to flee.

"Keep on looking through stuff, I'll pursue" Saeko said and ran after her target.

She didn't have to go far, the teenager was obviously intent on taking them all out, preferably one by one. Saeko was quick and slashed him with her tantō. The pale boy liquefied under her strike.

"Ah, ah, ah, that was just rude" the boy chided her with a smirk on his face.

Saeko indulged the talkative teen "Hōzuki clan, huh? Kidnapped by Orochimaru? Surrender and maybe we can find the answers you seek."

"No dice. I'll just chop you all up and I'll find them myself" the shinobi showed his shark-like teeth.

The Uchiha didn't answer and quickly cast the first lightening spell that came to her mind, knowing the Hōzuki clan's weakness.

He barely evaded, surprised by the velocity of Saeko's reaction. She immediately followed with an illusion but it was her turn to be surprised at how quickly the boy shook it off.

"Suiton: Mizudeppō!" the shinobi said as water concentrated on his fingertips.

Saeko danced between the water bullets with ease but before she could get close to her opponent the Hōzuki jumped back and tore a heavy pipe from the wall nearby. It must've been very heavy since he used a clan technique Saeko remembered hearing from Fugaku once upon a time, a technique that increased a Hōzuki's strength and enlarged limbs.

The Uchiha would've rolled her eyes if this were just a spar. Instead she stomped heavily and initiated a small localized earthquake. The man lost his balance for a few moments but that was all Saeko needed. She thrust her hand into her semi-liquid opponent "Raiton: Jibashi"

Despite the horrendous scrams that would make civilians cringe she liked this technique, it was quite a pretty sight with all the lightning bolts and all. Her opponent's watery body made it all the more efficient. When she stopped the technique the Hōzuki dropped down in a jello-like heap.

Saeko contemplated using a powerful fire to evaporate the shinobi but she guessed Konoha's T&I would have some questions. As if called the rest of her team entered the room. The Uchiha looked at Uchida "Be a dear and seal this goo. Maybe in a jar or something."

Her team was quick and efficient and soon cleared the whole north side of the facility.

"Report" Mimura Hamaki ordered, his team already outside.

The Uchiha nodded "We had some run-ins with weirdly shaped subjects, collected some paperwork but I don't have high hopes and we have a prisoner that was coherent enough to know something."

The second jounin hummed "Same as us then, minus the prisoner part. Where do you have him?"

"He was a Hōzuki or an Orochimaru experiment that replicated the bloodline so we have him sealed" Saeko replied.

Mimura was surprised "Intriguing. We also encountered some ninja with Oto headband, normal troops, not those monsters. They appeared to be looking for something."

"Maybe the Hōzuki? He seemed to be a valuable experiment contrary to the rest of the things we found on the base" Nara Fumie mused.

Both jounin nodded. The man smiled tightly "That seems possible."

After a beat of silence Uchida Fumiaki chuckled "If there is nothing else me and bro can blow this place up."

The bearded jounin looked around, seeing his team had no objection he nodded at the Uchida brothers. Both Shin and Fumiaki grinned and said simultaneously "Booom!"

…

_**BOOOOOM**_

…

The explosion was quite spectacular, the demolition specialist really went all out.

"Well, one thing is sure, Orochimaru is not coming back here" the Kurama smirked.

The Uchida bothers grinned. "We only followed orders" Shin remarked.

"Our work here is done" said the captain, "Let's go home."

"Hai, taichō!"

* * *

><p><strong>Omake<strong>

Shizune finished reading another scroll her shishou had received from Konoha "Tsunade-sama, this is remarkable! If you don't want to return to the village we could at least send a slug – I have many question and I'm sure you do too."

The busty sannin just waved her hand in dismissal "That can wait, I can figure it out myself. Now, I'm going to the bar for a refill."

"Tsunade-sama! You already had enough!" said the brunette with a frown.

The blonde just shrugged and went for the door. Shizune sighed "Just don't gamble please, the samurai in Tetsu no Kuni are even less forgiving than ninja."

"Bah" Tsunade said and stepped outside onto the snow.

X

It was very late when the dedicated apprentice decided to check up on her master. She found Tsunade not far from their hotel, the blonde was obviously returning home from having imbibed at the local bar.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed in worry. The sannin lay on her back on the snow, seemingly unconscious.

A groan could be heard from the downed kunoichi "The fuck happened?"

The brunette helped her teacher back on her feet "Maybe you just had too much to drink. Oh, no never mind, something hit you."

"The fuck" Tsunade repeated.

"Shizune peered closer at the mark on her master's forehead "It looks like a hoof."

"What?!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ok, I know Christmas was two months ago but… well, I wrote a Xmas omake, the first one ever, so I put it here regardless.<strong>


	39. 3- 39 New Habits

***New Habits***

The train station was still mostly empty. Saeko was not surprised - she had arrived two hours before the scheduled departure after all. She made her way to the only café on the platform, right next to a small shop and the conductor's office. Deciding to be adventurous she ordered the most expensive green tea on the menu.

The waitress was very pretty and young, the Uchiha vaguely remembered seeing her at Hogwarts not long ago. But even that fact did not make it up for the quality of the supposed tea. "_Helena would shit a brick at one whiff_" Saeko thought with a chuckle but thanked the older girl nonetheless.

"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked with a smile.

"No, thank you" the brunette replied in kind.

Once the older girl left Saeko took out her new purchase. Since her mission with Asuma and his team she took up his nasty hab.., _ergm, fūton exercise_. Not liking how cigarettes made her hand smell she decided on buying a pipe. Not copying Hokage-sama hers was long and sleek, a small bowl of metal, a stem of bamboo, and a mouthpiece of glass. Much more lady-lake, she thought.

The departure getting closer the number of people on the platform increased exponentially, making people-watching more enjoyable. Saeko was studying a balding parent that reminded her heavily of Fugaku when out of the corner of her eye she spotted Graham with a light backpack strolling leisurely along the platform. Saeko let out a sharp whistle.

Graham turned and smiled when he saw this friend ignoring the frowns of other passerby. Sitting beside the brunette he sing-songed "Hey, Saaa-eko!"

Saeko inclined her head "Good mood today?"

"Yep" the boy replied, popping the p.

"Any special reason?" the Uchiha asked.

"Meh," Graham shrugged, "not really. It's just a nice sunny day, I got awesome presents, there were no family arguments and so on. Hey, since when do you smoke?"

The scarred kunoichi let out a perfect smoke circle "Obviously since the holidays."

"Smartass" the boy rolled his eyes but also a grin, "It looks wicked."

Saeko hummed "It's bad for you, don't even think about it."

Graham pouted "That's hypocritical."

"Never said it wasn't. Man, my brother was pissed." _Poor Asuma, between Itachi and Kurenai… I so owe him. But hey, it _was_ his idea in the first place_' Saeko thought.

The boy gulped, clearly envisioning someone's reaction. Finally he cleared his throat "Grams would kill me."

Saeko chuckled.

Without prompting Graham began telling her about his _wonderful holidays_ while the ninja sipped the sub-par tea. She was not really that interested so she continued her people-watching while nodding at the appropriate times, just like she did during the Clan Council meetings during some of the more winded speeches.

She resurfaced from her thoughts when Graham began almost hopping on his seat while talking about homework. Homework! The thing the boy, according to him, loathed the most in the world.

"I didn't know the muggles could travel underwater, it's so awesome!" the pureblood said with huge grin. Despite griping about Muggle Studies he sure was excited about his homework about muggle transport.

"How did you choose these… submarines, anyway?" Saeko asked.

Graham couldn't stop smiling "My uncle's wife is muggleborn. I was complaining about the assignment and she suggested this. Did you know that muggles have means to reach the moon?"

"Cool" the ninja said, impressed.

"Actually, speaking of my uncle he gave me something you could be interested in" Graham said mysteriously with a sly grin.

Saeko arched her eyebrow "Hoo? What is it?"

"Not here. But it's the last edition of Playwizard, a Christmas special. With additional pages!" the boy said lecherously.

The kunoichi laughed, Graham was never subtle about his interests "I'm looking forward to it." Graham grinned and practically hopped. Saeko just shook her head with a smile.

"Hey, is that Daniel over there?" the ninja pointed to the gate.

"DANIEL!" Graham shouted for all the platform to hear.

Saeko sighed "Kami, what an idiot."

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko unpacked the few things she took to Konoha with her, mainly books and scroll that might land her in trouble if someone got the hand on them. Once done she made her way back to the Common Room, leaving her roommate behind to play with her guitar.

Hands in her pockets the Uchiha descended the stairs and looked around for someone to bother, most of her friends were in their rooms or doing their own things. The ninja spotted Geoffrey besieged by books and decided against bugging him. Instead she smiled as she spotted a familial blonde reading a book.

"Missed me Jamie?" Saeko asked.

The chaser looked up and smirked "Oh, I never noticed you went away."

"You wound me" Saeko chuckled.

"How were your holidays?" Jamie asked while putting a bookmark in her book and closing it.

Saeko shrugged "Not bad. We actually celebrate neither Yule nor Christmas so it was just going home for a bit, nothing special."

"Oh, I didn't know that. That said I did stay here so not much difference" Jamie nodded.

"Something exciting happened while I was away?" Saeko asked for gossip.

Jamie shook her head "It was pretty quiet."

"Oh, pity" the ninja sighed.

"Well, if you really want something, I guess I could tell you that a sixth-year Gryff asked me out" Jamie said with a slight smile, obviously pleased.

Saeko perked up "Really? Who? When? How? What did you say?"

The Captain grinned "Adrien Kessler, two days ago, we began talking during Christmas, I said why not."

"He's a Gryff in your year, is he not?" Saeko asked. At Jamie's nod the ninja hummed "He looks like a decent bloke. Handsome too, I guess. Good catch."

The platinum blonde just smiled.

"Uh uh, you are so telling me more" Saeko said sternly.

"Maybe when there is something more to say" the chaser replied.

Saeko nodded, accepting her answer, for now anyway. _"I'm certain Jared and Frost will help me with a little background check. Just to be sure" _she thought while concealing a smirk. Jamie was a good friend after all.

Jamie smiled appreciatively "Good, now quidditch. Next week we resume our training. January will be mainly PT and strategy but we'll fly as well."

"Alright" the Uchiha nodded. Looking out of the window she suddenly changed the subject "What time it is?"

"Dunno, use your wand. Why? Do you have someplace to be?" the blonde shrugged.

Saeko cast the tempus charm "Hmm, I'm meeting Faith in a bit. She is already pissed I haven't met her in the train or immediately after dinner."

Jamie arched her eyebrow "Why didn't you?"

The brunette shrugged "I was with the guys and so was she. I'm meeting her one-on-one now, that's much better, no?"

"If you say so. And why not meeting her after dinner?"

"I wanted to unpack, I had some sensitive stuff in my luggage. And I sent her a raven about it" Saeko answered with another shrug.

The blonde shook her head "No wonder she's pissed, that was quite insensitive."

Saeko frowned "It was logical and practical."

Jamie chuckled "Ooh, I read this book, I know how that ends."

"From that comment I take it I have to apologize" the scarred teen commented with a roll of her eyes.

"Yep."

"I don't really get why" Saeko frowned.

The chaser sighed "Did you at least get her a good present?"

"Sure, an awesome one" the Uchiha replied confidently, "That said I need to go."

"Good lu-uck!" Jamie sing-songed.

Saeko just waved and went back into her room to fetch the aforementioned present. As always she didn't send anything during her stay in Konoha, she wouldn't have her summons dimension travel for such a trivial reason.

One look at herself in the mirror and a quick bye to Ash who was still fiddling with her guitar she went to her and her girlfriend's usual spot.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

"Aaaah, coffee" Ashley practically moaned as she brought her mug to her lips.

Helena looked up from her breakfast to look at the small brunette "That's new, you always had tea. Now that I think about it I didn't even know Hogwarts even served coffee."

"It's the nectar of the gods" Ashley said with her eyes closed, still savoring the dark beverage.

Peter chuckled "It's my Gram's fault, she's practically addicted to that stuff, everybody else drinks tea. We stayed there only a few days but somehow Ash got corrupted in her wicked non-English ways."

"I can't believe something this good was kept from me" Ashley mumbled.

Saeko grinned, Ash was being soo adorable "Your grandmother in not English?"

"Nope, a Salem witch born and bred" the boy explained.

"So you're a quarter yank" Caitlin smirked. Peter just rolled his eyes in reply.

When the discussion turned to muggle music, Ash and Paddy being the most active in it, Saeko turned to Helena to discuss the potions essay about the antidotes for uncommon poisons that had to write over the holidays. It was by far the most difficult homework Snape had given. Both Ravens had to read plenty ahead to even hope for a good mark.

Once the group finished eating they slowly made their way to the DADA classroom. Graham sighed "Marlin I hope we don't have to duel today, I ate far too much."

"Yeah, that's so not gonna happen" Caitlin smirked, "If you puke it's your own fault, you shouldn't eat like a pig."

"I concur" Helena said with a frown, "Do keep your distance from me if you feel like vomiting."

Ashley frowned as well "That's disgusting, could we please stop talking about it. And Graham is going to be fine, right?"

"Of course" the boy in question said without much conviction.

Saeko chimed in "I've been telling you about the horror that is English breakfast for three years already. Kami, who in his sane mind would eat beans with tomato sauce on a toast so early in the day."

The Brits just shrugged, the Konoha nin griping about their eating habits was nothing new and all of them had learned to ignore her.

As the Ravens entered the classroom dedicated to Defense against the Dark Arts they found Miss McKenna already there. As always she was dressed purely in black dueling armor that Saeko couldn't help but appreciate.

When the bell rang the teacher addressed the class "Since this is the first lesson after the Yule break we will see how much you remember from last term. During your duels you are permitted to any spells, any strategy you wish with only the usual restrictions. Are you all ready?"

The class murmured their assent. The red-headed professor nodded with a small smirk that usually meant nothing good will be happening. "Ok. First up Daniel Fairbanks versus Margery Taylor."

Daniel and the Hufflepuff girl drew their wands and went up the little stage in the front of the classroom. The two combatants gave their opponent a small bow and as soon as the Scottish teacher said "Go!" they sprung into action.

The duel didn't last long. Since Daniel was thinking about becoming an auror in the future he had a distinctive advantage and quickly overpowered the Puff. The Ravenclaw had no problem moving around while his opponent stayed stationary for the most part of the fight, relying on a surprisingly advanced shielding charms. Good defense or not, Daniel was declared the winner.

Deirdre nodded at both of them and called for another duo "Archibald the III. Connoly versus Aaron Sadiq." Most of the student had to suppress a small laugh, the teacher always relished in saying the pureblood's full name despite how ridiculous it sounded.

Aaron proved his position as the number 2 in their year and completely destroyed his opponent.

The next two duels went to Hufflepuff's favor but then Helena reclaimed victory for the House of the Witted. It was a bit unusual that Miss McKenna pitted the two Houses against each other, usually preferring to match skills not minding the student's allegiance.

"Saeko Uchiha versus Chloe Siler" was the next duo to be called.

The kunoichi summoned her wand and with a confident smirk she swaggered onto the stage. The petite Hufflepuff followed with a determined expression. The two teens bowed to each other and waited for the signal.

"Go!"

Saeko let her opponent make the first move, to let her show off her skill before the ninja's unavoidable victory.

"_Incendio_", "_Tarantallegra_", "_Expelliarmus_" Chloe casted in quick succession, making hard to evade them. For normal people that is, not to ninja.

The Uchiha blocked the next charm heading her way, the tickling charm, with a simple shield charm. Deciding to finally attack Saeko sped up so she could catch the other girl on her unprotected side and cast "_Obscuro_."

Immediately a thick black blindfold appeared over Chloe's eyes. Not letting up Saeko used the _confundus_ charm that hit her opponent right in the chest.

The coup de grace was the _incarcerous_ spell that bound the defeated Hufflepuff in rope. This was one spell that she had modified for fun when she was bored one day in Ravenclaw Tower and thought about her friend Anko. Saeko nicknamed the charm 'Shibari'.

The end result was quite scandalous. "Yield!" she ordered.

Before the downed girl or the teacher could react to the Uchiha's victory Helena burst into laughter. Saeko flashed a grin into the blonde's direction.

Seeing as Chloe Siler was too _confused_ to surrender Miss McKenna ended the fight and lifted the charms off the Hufflepuff.

Saeko went back to her friends, mainly Helena who was now chocking on her laughter and couldn't stop.

The rest of the lesson went on in a fairly regular manner, the Ravenclaws being the overall winners of the duels thus getting thirty points for their House.

When the students were finally let out they began to discuss their respective fights. Naturally Helena immediately complimented the 'rope bondage' that the Uchiha prodigy inflicted on her opponent.

"Yeah, what was that about" Ash said in a mildly disapproving tone.

Graham grinned "It was awesome. I even saw Deirdre smirk."

"It was just a silly joke" Saeko replied with a full blown grin.

"Maybe you should apologize to Siler" Ashley proposed.

Saeko looked around, not seeing the girl anywhere "Do you know where she went?"

Peter shook his head "No. I saw her go scarlet and flee with some other girls."

"Aw, I didn't mean to be mean. I'll send her a raven" the kunoichi sighed.

Helena who was still smiling shrugged "It could've been worse. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Yeah, it missed the riding crop" Graham chimed in with his usual broad grin.

Deciding to go with the joke Saeko drew her wand once more and conjured a whip. As the group laughed Helena commented "At least it wasn't a ball-gag."

"A what?" Ashley asked.

"Nevermind"

* * *

><p><strong>Library<strong>

Saeko strolled into the Hogwarts library, intent on trolling for some spell books with an interesting title. Once she had found out a tome called 'Credibility of Crazy Crocheting Crickets' that despite its ghastly name contained quite a few amazing potion formulas that meant to confuse the senses. Saeko did wonder why it was not restricted since some potions were obviously narcotic and hallucinogenic.

Not far from the entrance the ninja spotted two of Faith's friends. Since they noticed her too she made her way towards them "Afternoon Abby, Serena."

Both Hufflepuff greeted her as well. "Is Faith around?" the ninja asked.

"No, she's with Sofia working on a Herbology assignment back in our Common Room" the petite blonde replied.

"Oh, pity" Saeko said, "I'll leave you to it then."

Abby stopped her "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Saeko arched an eyebrow "Sure."

"Are you really into that stuff?" the dark-haired witch continued.

"Stuff? Elaborate" the scarred teen prompted.

Abby subtly looked around while Serena just rolled her eyes "She means BDSM."

Saeko looked at the duo in surprise that quickly morphed into understanding. She chuckled "No, not really. Never tried it though."

Both Puffs nodded. The blonde continued "Just so you know some rumors began floating around after your performance in DADA the other day."

"I saw Faith yesterday evening and I told her about it, it was a good joke. She said nothing about it. Does it bother her?" Saeko said worriedly. In hindsight that stunt wasn't the best idea she had.

Abby shook her head "No, she was alright with it. The only thing that seems to bug her is that people thing she is the submissive."

Saeko let out a loud laugh that couldn't seem to stop. Finally she wiped her eyes and said "That's my girl."

The Hufflepuffs just shook their head. Despite their clear disapproval they seemed to be relieved their friend was not a pet in some bondage game.

Her mood much improved Saeko excused herself and went on with her scavenging mission, making note to send a raven to her wonderful girlfriend.

* * *

><p><em>AN: for the image of the pipe just google 'Chinese pipe'<em>

_AN2: Smoking's bad, just so you know_


	40. 3- 40 Need to Know

***Need to Know***

**Flitwick****'s Office**

Saeko knocked on her Head of House's office door. She as all her classmates received a summons much like their first year at Hogwarts.

"Come in!"

The kunoichi promptly entered and smiled at her favorite professor excluding Deirdre. The diminutive wizard smiled as well "Do sit down miss Uchiha. Tea? I even have biscuits."

"That would be lovely" Saeko said while sitting down on the provided plush chair.

True to his word professor Flitwick put tray with tea and tasty looking snacks in front of the brunette who thanked him and immediately took one.

"So" the Charms Master began, "How are you Electives going? Are they what you expected?"

Saeko replied when she finished chewing "Both Care and Runes are very good, I'm very satisfied."

"Mr Sadiq inquired about adding another elective to his curriculum" Flitwick trailed out.

"As I said, I'm satisfied. At least from the possible electives" the brunette declined.

"What would you add?"

Saeko thought for a moment "Hmm, perhaps dueling."

Flitwick smiled broadly "Ah, yes. Miss McKenna was very complementary with the assessment of your abilities. If circumstances were different I would recommend a career in dueling."

"If I were not to return home upon the completion of my Hogwarts years I might consider it. Alas I have other responsibilities" the jounin smiled at the compliment.

"I understand. Normally during this meeting I also discuss possible career options with my Ravens but you were quite adamant you already have a path chosen" the part goblin prompted.

Saeko inclined her head slightly "Indeed"

"Politics was it?"

"Ultimately, yes."

Flitwick nodded "Any concerns or suggestions you might have? About the staff, your housing, classes?"

The brunette shook her head "I can't think of any. Perhaps only speeding up some lessons - most of Ravenclaw are quite ahead and it shows. But I understand how that would be difficult."

"Indeed" the charms master chuckled, "This is the most common concern among my students. I confess I like to boast about that during staff meetings."

"As you should" Saeko smirked.

Both shared a short laugh. "Lately I have more to boast about it seems" the part-goblin said and glanced at the quidditch trophy that sat next to the House Cup that Ravenclaw won just last year.

The Uchiha beamed "We will try our very best to enable you to do the same next year."

Flitwick smiled "Is there anything else that you would like to speak about?"

"No sir" Saeko replied and stood, waited to be dismissed.

"Have a nice evening then. And keep up with the good work, it looks like you are well on your way in being number 1 again this year" said the professor with a hint of pride for his student.

Saeko smirked and nodded in thanks. Of course she would be number 1 again, she was an Uchiha.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko sat behind a table in the Ravenclaw Common Room in the _Gendo pose_ eyeing the two older-years before her. Jared and Frost shifted on their seats, uncomfortable under the Uchiha's gaze.

Finally the brunette spoke "You both know why you're here. We have a mission, it's an investigative and stealth mission of great importance. Will you accept it?"

"Yes", "Aye" were the replies.

The Uchiha nodded "Out target is called Adrian Kessler, sixth-year Gryffindor. Are you familiar with him?"

"Yes", "Aye."

"Excellent. As you well know the target wishes to date our Jamie. Before we allow this he must be thoroughly vetted and approved" Saeko announced and both boys nodded. This was a serious matter after all.

Jared suppressed a smirk and asked "What is our battle plan Commander?"

"The plan has two phases. In the first phase we collect information from indirect sources such as the Hogwarts gossip queens and kings, Kessler's year mates and our spies in Gryffindor" the Uchiha began.

"We have spies in Gryffindor?" Frost asked eagerly.

"Not yet" Saeko admitted, "Phase two will begin when I feel we have enough information about the target's character. Stage two is 'The Confrontation'."

"Ooooh" Jared exclaimed theatrically. With this the atmosphere was broken and all three quidditch players dissolved into loud laughter.

Only when Geoffrey sent a glare their way and shushed sternly they calmed down. Frost was the first to recover "In all seriousness what do we know about that guy?"

"Shouldn't you know something, being in his year and all?" Jared probed.

Frost frowned "I think, think mind you, that he tried out for keeper but Wood was better."

Saeko nodded "What else?"

The two boys shook their head. The ninja sighed "The mission stands then. I'll ask Angela and Caitlin, those two seem to be always well informed."

"I could ask Juliet, Jamie's best friend, but that would be a bit suspicious" Frost mused.

"No, that's a good idea. We are just concerned friends after all. Do it" Saeko ordered with a smile. The seeker did mock salute.

Jared tapped his chin in thought "Hey, why we don't get Rory, Wayne and Cameron involved?"

"Too crazy" the brunette snorted.

"Saeko's right, those three don't know when to stop" Frost nodded.

After a beat of silence the trio smirked and stood up as one. Saeko took command once more "Meeting adjourned then. Remember, the day after tomorrow before dinner we share our findings."

"Yes Commander", "Aye Commander."

"Dismissed" Saeko said resolutely.

The trio finally burst into laughter once more and went to do their assigned tasks.

X

**Thursday (aka two days later)**

"So?" Saeko prompted when her fellow quidditch players said nothing.

The two boys shared a look and Frost reluctantly started "Juliet thinks I want to date Jamie and that I'm jealous of Kessler."

Jared chuckled while the Uchiha managed not to let her amusement show. Frost made a face but dutifully continued "Other than that I found out that he indeed tried for keeper, that he's an average student but with particularly high marks in Care for Magical Creatures. He's half-blood and all in all a very upstanding guy. The people I talked to say he's really reliable, friendly and kind. The word chivalrous came up more than once."

"Hm. You Jared?" the ninja turned to the beater.

"Well, I found out pretty much the same. No scandals, he's very liked both in his House and outside. Even the Slytherins have nothing much against him" Jared reported.

Saeko rolled her eyes "He sounds kinda boring. But also harmless I guess."

Both boys nodded, he did seem a bit dull. The seeker spoke up "What did you find?"

"That he's very handsome and plenty of the girls, in particular the younger Gryffindors, are displeased he's not single any more" Saeko said with a shrug.

All three of them sat in silence for a while, processing the information. Finally Jared summed it up "Soo I guess he's alright?"

"Seems to be" Frost agreed.

"She could definitely do better but yeah" Saeko nodded.

Jared smiled "So we approve. Until he screws up that is."

"Hai" "We do."

Before more could be said a Jamie's voice said cheerfully "Hey, guys, what are you doing?"

"NOTHING!" the trio said and snapped at attention.

The blonde just frowned "Hm."

Saeko put her most charming smile on and asked "Are you going running taichō?"

"Just returned" the blonde said while pouring herself a glass of water from a nearby pitcher.

Saeko, Jared and Frost sighed in relief when their Captain began talking about the schedule for the next few trainings.

_Distraction success!_

* * *

><p><strong>Summoner<strong>**'****s Realm**

The caws of her summons greeted Saeko as she appeared in a poof of smoke. The girl smiled and waved at the ravens nearby. She looked around and made note that nothing seemed out of order even if last time she was there she and her brother had an epic spar. A fight might even be considered a better term for it. The terms had been no genjutsu, no spells and naturally no summoning. The memory immediately brought a large grin on her face. It was such a _rush_! At the end of the spar both Uchiha were completely drained, a feat neither managed in a long time. The victor could not be disconcerted since both of them held back their most powerful techniques – for respect of the land of ravens and to not accidentally kill each other.

Saeko was extremely satisfied with the result even if it landed her in the infirmary in the tender care of Madame Pomfrey.

_***Flashback***_

_The injured girl was glad the reverse summoning had her appear right in front of her bed in Ravenclaw Tower which she immediately let herself fall on. She ignored the pain that manifested all over her body and closed her eyes, intent to let sleep claim her._

_She was half out of it when the Uchiha heard a worried gasp "Saeko! Oh my god, what happened!"_

_Saeko opened one eye and replied tiredly "Training."_

"_If anyone else said this I would scoff and demand the truth" Ash shook her head, even if her eyes betrayed her worry, "We have to get you to Pomfrey. You look like you took one hell of a beating."_

"_You should__'ve seen the other guy" Saeko chuckled despite the pain that it caused her. It was true too – Itachi did not fare much better when the spar ended. To Saeko's great satisfaction she managed to punch her brother right in the eye among other things, quite an insult to a dojutsu user. "_Oh yeah, that bruise will be most delightful_" the brunette thought with pride._

_Ashley merely shook her head "Idiot. I__'m serious about the infirmary."_

_The kunoichi sighed but acquiesced "Probably a good idea."_

"_I just talked with Peter downstairs, the two of us together could help you get there" the Brit planned with a frown._

_Saeko stood up but not without difficulty "_Probably some cracked ribs_" she thought as the perfect Uchiha poker face concealed a wince. Out loud she said "No need, I can walk myself there just fine."_

_Ashley went to protest but Saeko__'__s glare made her sigh instead "No Peter then. But I__'m going."_

_Thinking it was a good compromise the brunette nodded. Pausing at the door Saeko had an idea that would prevent any questions that might be thrown her way. "Ash, I'm going to weave a small illusion_ _that will make me appear completely fine. I'll drop it once I'm in the infirmary" Saeko shared with a tone that bore no argument and used _henge_._

_Neither girl spoke as they made their way to the Hogwarts infirmary. Out of the corner of her eye Saeko noted the worried glances of her friend. Ashley also walked half a step behind her as to catch her if she were to fall. It made Saeko smile._

_Once the duo entered the feared nurse__'s domain Saeko dropped the _henge_._

_Madame Pomfrey immediately appeared in front of the Uchiha with a stern expression and quickly surveyed her. The elder looked at Ashley as well but as she was uninjured she returned her gaze to the kunoichi and ordered "On the bed."_

_Saeko obeyed and sat down on the white sheets. The nurse drew her wand for presumably a diagnostic charm "What happened?"_

"_A scuffle with my brother" the Uchiha deadpanned._

_The nurse looked into the obsidian eye but said nothing. Everybody knew there was only one Uchiha currently at Hogwarts._

"_So what__'s the verdict doc?" Saeko asked._

_As the brunette expected it were the common spar injuries - a__ minor burn on her calf from a rookie mistake, some small cuts from when Itachi managed to sneak a shadow clone on her to throw some shuriken and sore throat from firing katon and fūton jutsu. The worst injury were the aforementioned cracked ribs, three to be exact. Oh and the exhaustion from the chakra drain and the physical strain. _

_Madame Pomfrey managed to fix everything quite quickly but ordered the brunette to stay in the infirmary in bed for at least an hour to let her ribs settle. Saeko saw no point in arguing, she was quite tired after all. As she thanked Ashley who decided to return to the Tower she closed her eyes to get some sleep._

_***Flashback End***_

The plan for today's stay in the summoner's realm was quite different. Saeko intended to try out a curse if she found a willing target. She grinned as she spotted Styrke, her favorite combat summon, and waved enthusiastically "Hey buddy, would you mind helping me with something?"

"Sure" the big raven replied and landed on a nearby branch.

Since procuring a rather dark old text concerning the now called _unforgivable curses_ she was itching of trying the _Imperio_. To be honest she did not expect to actually use much the other two curses – _Crucio_ was practically useless since her prisoners went to the T&I and she was never one to cause pain just for kicks. As for _Avada Kedavra_, well, the text said something about degrading the soul and other dangers so why use it if you have plenty of jutsu and kunai.

_Imperio_ on the other hand was great. It was like a genjutsu that no one in the Elemental Nations would know. Just one flick of wand and her enemies could attack each other or her targets could just fire all their bodyguards and open a window. The down point though was that a strong will could resist its effect and she would qualify most ninja as strong-willed or at least stubborn. Still, it was worth learning.

That intent is the main ingredient._ Imperio_ was forbidden but not that particularly difficult – one just needed firm resolve and plenty of power. Saeko definitely had both.

It was not a surprise the raven managed to resist her first try. Saeko was reluctant of using much power on her loyal summon and friend. Once Styrke relayed the sensation of being under the influence of the _Imperius Curse_ Saeko instructed him not to resist her next try. Soon the black bird was doing cartwheels in the air and imitating chicken sounds.

Saeko smiled and cancelled the spell "Excellent. You still good buddy?"

"Yes, it's very unpleasant though" Styke replied.

The Uchiha nodded "I'm sorry. One last experiment and I leave you in peace?"

Styrke gave the avian equivalent of a shrug "Ok."

"Thank you. Now I will cast it again just with more power. I want to know when you are still able to resist it and when or if the magic overpowers your will" Saeko explained.

The raven was definitely uncomfortable but agreed. Saeko pointed her wand on her target "_Imperio_!"

Since her friend was still lucid she increased the power, then again and again. When finally Styrke obeyed her magical command and took flight Saeko sighed and cancelled the spell.

"Powerful" the raven mused as he landed again.

"It should be, I almost put everything in it. Then again you are a powerful summon with an iron will and a vast knowledge of genjutsu. Still, I expected less effort to be necessary. Now if I only could cast it on a civilian and then an average ninja for comparison" Saeko said with a frown. Pity Itachi hadn't brought her the text before the new semester – she could've used it during the Yule break. Now she would have to wait. "No matter, the experiment is over for now. Thank you very much Styrke."

"It was no problem" said the summon and flew away.

After a brief deliberation Saeko unsealed her gunbai, her battle fan – she hasn't used it in a long time and it was something she wouldn't do at Hogwarts. Especially when she channeled wind through it. There were not many katas for this specific weapon but the Uchiha designed some exercises for it herself.

She continued swinging the weapon Madara was known for till it was time to return to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

Saeko was sporting a huge grin as she stepped though the passageway that the Eagle Guardian revealed upon her correct answer to the riddle. It was already pretty late so she wasn't surprised the Common Room was mostly deserted. One of the night owls was Daniel who was staring emptily into space looking disturbed.

Being curious and a little worried Saeko made her was towards her friend "Isn't past your bed time Danny?"

The bespectacled boy jerked back into awareness "Oh, hey."

"Are you alright?" the Uchiha frowned.

"Yeah, sure" the boy replied while looking out of the window in surprise "I didn't notice it was so late already."

The brunette eyed Daniel and said skeptically "Really."

"Yeah" the boy chuckled, "I was finishing a book and the needing took me really by surprise. I guess I needed to digest it."

Saeko laughed, relieved "That does sound like you. Was it one of your mystery novels? It wasn't the evil twin?"

"I think you have it confused with telenovelas" Daniel said with a grin.

"Really now," Saeko trailed out, "Then the butler? It's always the butler."

Daniel snorted in laughter "Nah, it actually was a sweet old lady that everybody loved. And that was not even the half of it! It was a truly splendid story."

Saeko smiled at his enthusiasm "I noticed. I saw you Monday walking and eating with your nose in that book."

"What can I say, I was eager to solve the case" Daniel shrugged with a smile.

The Uchiha grinned as well "You know, you reminded me of a colleague back home – Hatake Kakashi. He too can't be seen without a book in front of his face."

The boy hummed "What does he read?"

"Porn" Saeko dead-panned.

"Wha-!" Daniel did a spit-take and began coughing as a result.

Saeko smirked "Well, erotica if we are being precise."

When the Brit calmed down he said with a nearly invisible blush "Well, for your information I'm not reading that."

The scarred kunoichi shrugged "To each its own. But so you know, Jiraiya-sama writes masterpieces."

"You read smut" Daniel half-stated while his eyebrow shot up.

"Sure" Saeko said with a lewd grin, "I could get you a copy if you are interested, I know a handy translation spell."

Daniel shook his head in vehement denial "Try Graham, that's right up his alley."

"True" Saeko replied, her grin still in place.

After sitting a moment in silence Daniel stood up "Well, it's late. I'm heading to bed."

"Hm, you are right. I'm actually quite tired" the ninja said as she stood as well.

"Been training again?" the boy asked barely suppressing a yawn.

"Nope, been meeting a lovely Hufflepuff."

Daniel looked like he was itching to say something. Finally he blurted out "Better than the books?"

Saeko shot him a megawatt smile "Most definitely."


	41. 3- 41 Keep Calm and

***Keep Calm and…***

Seeing it was raining quite heavily Saeko decided to forgo training for the day and stay indoors. Not really in the mood for company, neither human nor raven, she informed her friends she would stay in her room and not to be disturbed for the next few hours. Once in her room the kunoichi sat down on Ashley's rug with her legs crossed, her back straight, and closed her eyes.

There were many different methods to meditation. Some ninja focused on their chakra core, some channeled their chakra outwards, the Yamanaka and those in T&I focused on their mental defenses or mindscapes.

Saeko focused on her chakra as it roared thought its pathways and into her chakra core. To the girl her chakra always felt… blue. Magic on the other hand tended to stay in its core and shot out when a spell was used. How it related to potions or herbology Saeko had not yet discovered but to be honest she did not particularly care, it worked for ninja and that was enough for her. Now that Saeko had cultivated the magical energy it could be felt quite distinctively, it was like a slow burning silver fire in her chest.

Concentrating on her gut where her chakra core resided she followed the major pathways and channeled the energy to run faster and in larger quantities in different part of her body. During combat ninja did that on an almost instinctual level, it speeded them up, gave them more strength, protected the more frail parts of their body. Hyuuga and Uchiha learned to channel chakra through their eyes as soon as they were able.

Saeko liked to use chakra to enhance her hearing. In a combat situation it could be augmented only by a small margin but while meditating… The girl smiled slightly as she could hear Helena's roommate trying out the freezing charm, stubbornly repeating it over and over. The mild hum of her housemates that she could hear three floors down in the Common Room was quite relaxing. She could hear some other student somewhere upstairs playing a soft melody on a flute or something similar. Another was arguing with his older brother from the sound of it. Saeko could hear that and more, so much more, and all that was forming quite a symphony combined with the sound of raindrops against the Castle walls and windows.

It was truly calming.

Withdrawing chakra from her ears she focused on her hair instead. That was much less calming since Saeko long sought to mimic Jiraiya's Hari Jizō. So far she failed every single time, it was infuriating. But then again her hair was far too pretty for such an unseemly technique. It was just the idea of a jutsu she wasn't able to do.

Since her frustration with this exercise was against the very nature of meditation Saeko switched to Occlumency.

There was a faint knock on the door which brought the Uchiha back to reality. Ashley opened the door slowly and stuck her head inside. Saeko sighed "Yes?"

"We are having a study group downstairs. Potions" said the shorter brunette.

Saeko hummed "Ok, why not. I'm beginning to be rather stiff."

"You were holed up here for almost 5 hours. You missed dinner" Ashley answered rolling her eyes, already used to her friend's oddities.

"Oh, pity, I'm feeling rather peckish" the jounin said as she stretched her limbs.

The Brit shrugged "Too bad."

The Uchiha chuckled, fetched her book and followed Ash downstairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Rune<strong>**'s Classroom**

"Hey Uchiha" Lauren greeted as the brunette sat down on her usual spot in Runes.

"Hn" Saeko replied with a frown and unsealed the huge tome that was the prescribed textbook.

The Slytherin arched her eyebrows "Someone's grumpy today."

Saeko sighed "Sorry. Hello Lauren, how do you do?"

Lauren chuckled "Funny. Now, what's going on?"

"It's nothing really" the Konoha nin sighed again. At the redhead's pout, which looked ridiculously cute, she confessed "It's my girlfriend."

"Trouble in paradise?" the red-head smirked.

Saeko merely rolled her eyes "She's getting a little clingy."

"How so?" Lauren asked, quite curious. When the kunoichi hesitated she smirked "Hell, I'll even be so nice that I'll listen and not spread it around."

The scarred brunette just shrugged "That's mighty nice of you but it's just a feeling."

Before Lauren could elicit some more information Daniel sat down with a soft thud next to Saeko "Brace yourselves, Ashley and Peter are arguing about some Viking times rubbish."

"Well, at least they are in theme with Runes this year" Saeko said with a slight smile.

Lauren sighed at the change in subject but then her desire for entertainment was satisfied when the aforementioned duo made their way thought the classroom's door, arguing loudly. Saeko stopped listening, not really in the mood for obscure historical facts that the two aspiring archeologists spewed at a regular basis.

The scarred brunette was forced to return to the conversation when Peter put her on the spot "Saeko can decide for us! I don't know how but you know plenty of stuff about the Norse mythology."

As the little group turned to face the Uchiha she merely sighed "I wasn't paying attention."

Lauren smirked knowingly but answered "Svaðilfari. What it is."

Saeko couldn't help a little snort "The horse that fathered Sleipnir, Odin's steed. His name means 'unlucky traveler'." _And it_'s_ also the name of one of the Raven elders. Perpetually in bad mood and a bit of an ass too._

Peter's cries of triumph and the still arguing Ashley was interrupted by professor Babbling who ordered them quite sternly to calm down.

Turns out that today's lesson was to read and analyze the assignment they completed just the other week, so nothing exciting especially if Saeko already thought about its practical application. The brunette frowned, she hated when she was held back, and fiddled with her quill.

"What´s gotten into her?" Daniel whispered to the redheaded Slytherin.

Lauren smirked "She and the girlfriend are on the outs."

"I'm right here" Saeko grumped.

"We know dear" said the girl and patted the ninja's hand in a patronizing fashion.

Daniel looked at the brunette in surprise "Really? What did you do?"

"What do you mean 'what did I do'?" Saeko frowned, "It could be Faith's fault."

"Is it?" the bespectacled teen asked without any judgment.

Saeko humphed "Yes, actually."

"So?" Lauren prompted.

The brunette sighed, reluctant to share a mere feeling "She just… I don't really know. She's a bit clingy lately."

"So you said, but what does that really mean" Lauren pressed.

Saeko just shrugged and didn't reply. Daniel looked at his friend with narrowed eyes "So are you saying, just a hypothesis so don't get angry, that she takes your relationship more seriously than you do?"

"Look at you, playing auror" the Uchiha said with a grimace, "Now could we go back to the lesson."

"He is right!" Lauren said with glee.

The brunette was making a show of listening to their Runes professor and completely ignoring her neighbors. However the gossip seeking duo did not relent "Does this have to do with Valentine's Day? It's next week" Daniel asked eagerly.

When he did not get an answer it was Lauren's turn "Are you breaking up with her?"

This got Saeko's attention "No! As I said, it's just a feeling. I just have many thing to do, many goals to achieve and plans to spin and the last thing I need is Faith demanding I spend more time with her!"

Daniel and Lauren grinned and high-fived behind Saeko's back, proud they got their friend to divulge what was bothering her. The Uchiha rolled her eyes and went back to Runes despite the duo trying to get her talking again.

Unfortunately the duo caught professor Babbling's attention instead of their friend's which resulted into a minor loss of points and a detention for all three of them.

When the bell rang at the end of the lesson the Uchiha exploded "Detention! Detention, I never get detentions!"

"Yeah, you're perfect" Lauren grumbled sarcastically.

Saeko shot the redhead a glare "You couldn't just shut up, could you? A detention! Me!"

"Calm down," Daniel sighed, "I'm sorry about the detention. At last it's just one session."

"Detentions are such a waste of time" the angry brunette continued.

Lauren chuckled "And we know how you feel about that". Cue another glare.

"Hey, look at the bright side, ladies love bad guys" Daniel interjected.

Both girls looked at the bespectacled teen and arched their eyebrows. Daniel blushed "Or so I read."

Saeko huffed.

* * *

><p><strong>North Wing of the Castle<strong>

Hogwarts was huge, no argument about that. Curiously only a small fraction of the actual castle was used for lasses, housing and other purposes which meant copious opportunities to explore, or more probably, to get lost. Being a ninja Saeko had an excellent sense of direction and had no problems, and even if she did she could always use the shunshin. Nonetheless a byakugan would be handy.

Saeko liked to explore the Castle on occasions since, given its magical properties, was ever changing. Today's novelty was a ghost she had never seen previously.

The ghost looked very grumpy despite being dressed as a jester. Or maybe because of it, his tights were… well, tight. Saeko greeted the dead man with a neutral "Good afternoon."

"Hm, I guess it is good" the man replied disinterestedly, "Do you need something?"

The Uchiha shook her head "Not really, I'm just looking around. You are not in a mood to talk I assume."

"Hn" said the ghost and disappeared through the wall.

Saeko frowned and mumbled "That's my line."

"Think nothing of him, he's like that all the time. Hard to imagine he was once described as a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy" said an attractively deep female voice.

The scarred kunoichi turned around and spotted the portrait that spoke to her. The dark haired woman gave her a sultry smile and waved. Saeko smiled and bowed slightly "Good afternoon my lady."

The woman's grin widened "Indeed. As I said, think nothing of poor Yorick, do not let him spoil your day."

"I won't" Saeko said with a smirk, "So if that kind sir was Yorick, who you might be?"

"Call me Carmilla my dear" the woman answered.

Before Saeko could reply another voice spoke up "Another, Carmilla? Must you try to charm every pretty girl that comes around?" The voice belonged to another portrait, this time a man dressed in chainmail with a gold tabard over it, "Bloody horny vampires."

"Pun intended?" Saeko asked and shot a smirk in the woman's direction.

The vampire laughed "I like you my dear. See Frederick, today's girls don't need your manly attempts to save them."

"The fact you are trapped in canvas certainly helps" the apparent knight taunted.

Carmilla frowned at the quip "Shush and go get laid. Besides, she's not my type, I like my women delicate and innocent – this one walks like a warrior."

Saeko smirked in satisfaction as the knight pursed his lips "For once you are right. Tell me child, under whose banner do you fight?"

"Konoha" the kunoichi replied proudly, "now though I have to leave. I bid you goodbye."

The vampire pouted "Pity. You are welcome to came back and entertain me instead of that insipid virgin knight."

"Celibate!" the man said in irritation.

"Of course, how could I forget" Carmilla said condescendingly.

Saeko walked away with an amused smile as she heard the knight sputter while Carmilla laughed maliciously. As she turned a corner she could faintly hear an argument breaking out.

"So you are the warrior, huh?" said yet another voice.

Saeko's eyes found the portrait that spoke to her "I am. What of it?"

The old man in the frame looked her over "Everybody's soft nowadays. All those students I see traipsing the hallways of this castle are pudgy and weak, worthless. Now tell me _warrior girl_, can you handle a sword or do you rely on mere spells?"

The Uchiha smirked at the haughty man "I can."

"Really now?" said the skeptical portrait, "A true swordsman would not leave his or hers chamber without a weapon."

Saeko shrugged and summoned her tantō. The man in the portrait positively beamed "I'm impressed. What's your name child?"

Deciding to forgo any comment on the child part the jounin replied "Saeko of the Uchiha Clan. Though it is polite to give one's name before asking another's."

"Albert Liechtenauer, you might have heard of me or my squib brother" the man said arrogantly.

"I'm not from around here" Saeko replied with a shake of her head.

Albert pursed his lips but nodded "No matter. Still I rejoice that this generation is not hopeless after all."

The Uchiha bowed slightly "Well, you could always teach me a combat spell or two to make this generation better."

"Hmm, I suppose I could" Albert said after a long deliberation.

Saeko was surprised but immensely pleased. She did have to suffer through a fairly long monologue with copious ego stroking but she got a nasty and surprising curse in return. Just as she tried to coax another spell from her impromptu teacher another portrait returned to his dwelling "Albert, what do you think you are doing!"

"Go away you bloody priest" the German swordsman said with a sneer that would make Snape proud.

"I cannot, someone has to stop this madness. What are you showing her is dangerous" said the bearded newcomer.

Albert rolled his eyes "So is war. You have to destroy the enemy before he destroys you."

The newcomer shook his head vehemently "Violence isn't the answer."

"Maybe it depends on the question" said Albert stubbornly.

As the duo began to argue in the earnest Saeko thought "_Looks like the lesson is over."_ Sighing the ninja took off but resolved to return sometime to see if she could milk the arrogant swordsman for some more spells. As the shout of "Fucking pacifists" was heard Saeko had to wonder if all the portraits at Hogwarts were grouped according to opposing personalities. "_Maybe the arguing keeps them sane_" the girl mused.

Saeko passed another arguing pair, this time a portrait and a ghost. It looked that war and peace became the topic of the day.

When she heard another voice called out to her with the words "I was an archer myself" Saeko sped up considerably but not before she heard an angry rebuttal.

"Well, let it be said that where _Konoha no Amaterasu_ walks, chaos follows" Saeko mused as she jogged by another yelling pair.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

When Saeko heard someone calling her name she put a bookmark into her book and closed it "What is it?"

"I need you to turn my hair blonde" Daniel said very reluctantly while shuffling his feet.

"I beg your pardon?" the Uchiha said while holding a chuckle.

Graham and Paddy who were standing beside the bespectacled boy burst into laughter. Finally with a pained grimace Daniel explained "I lost a bet."

"Oh did you now" Saeko trailed out.

"Oh yes, he did. Now he has to go a whole day blonde and wearing pink" Graham said with a very satisfied expression. Indubitably the penalty had been his idea.

Patrick tried to contain his huge grin and asked "Can you do it?"

Saeko nodded, the pink would be easy but the hair would be trickier – it was 6th year's magic. Fortunately the kunoichi deemed the spell useful for Konoha, for infiltration purposes. "Sure" she said and motioned to Daniel to move closer to her.

"_Colovaria_" she intoned and Daniel's uniform turned a mute shade of pink. The boys minus the poor aspiring auror laughed in glee.

Next was the hair. _Crinus Muto _only took a second to work. The result wasn't that bad so she smiled at her unfortunate friend "Dashing."

Graham was holding his stomach and was wheezing loudly from all the laughter while Paddy gave the now-blond a one-armed hug "So fabulous!"

Deciding to make the best of it Daniel straitened his posture and run his hand through his new corn yellow locks to make them more messy-looking "Alright, let's go."

Saeko already had breakfast but decided to tag along for the entertainment. Daniel strode with his head held high, trying to look as this was usual or just an annoyance, but nothing worth preoccupying himself with. The ninja gave him a thumbs up when he glanced her way. A soft smile was his reply.

"You do know that we have to go to class right? We had first period free but we still have charms and the rest to go to and that uniform is far from prescribed" the scarred kunoichi said to the sill laughing duo.

"Flitwick will be game" Graham shrugged.

"And we have herbology next, Sprout will be ok with it I think. And we are going to breakfast quite late so the professors will be already elsewhere" Paddy chimed in.

The brunette had to admit the plan was not as bad as it had sounded at first "Fair enough. We'll see."

True to the boy's prediction their meal went without a hitch. The Great Hall was mostly deserted, only those who had a free first period were present. Their friends were all there since everybody liked to sleep late after having Astronomy the night before.

Also the Gryffindor's second years were present and that meant the Weasley twins. Those two, immediately after they stopped whooping and laughing, went to gush on and on about the Raven's pranking skills.

After the Ravenclaws calmed down, Daniel still struggling to look completely unperturbed, Caitlin spoke up "Ok, what's going on?"

"I lost a bet" said Daniel with a shrug and loaded his plate with scrambled eggs.

Paddy smirked "Barbie Boy here thought he could predict the ending of the book I gave him for his birthday."

"Turns out he can't" Graham said with a grin.

"Yeah, he called it a predictable mystery and that the culprit was obvious. Hah!" the Irish boy elaborated.

Daniel shrugged "I admit I was very surprised. The book was indeed very good."

"Never mind that," Michelle cut in, "the hairstyling spell is really advanced stuff! It's human transfiguration."

Graham frowned "Huh, I didn't even realize."

"Yeah, me neither. We just asked Saeko if she could do it" Paddy explained as Daniel got a little green – human transfiguration could go very bad very easily.

The Ravens all turned to look at the scarred jounin with various looks of envy and admiration. Saeko merely took a sip of her tea and smiled sweetly.

"I guess I won't be unseating you as number one anytime soon" sad Aaron with a resigned sigh.

When all shook off that Aaron, the lone wolf of the House and current number two, spoke out loud Helena spoke up "If McGonagall sees you like this we are going to lose points."

Daniel just shrugged while Graham said "Not many. Plus we don't have her today so maybe we can get away with it."

"Not during lunch or dinner" Peter reasoned.

"Dumbledore will like it so maybe he'll tell her to chill" Ashley countered.

Caitlin scoffed "Not bloody likely. Well Danny boy, it looks like you will only have to suffer through the morning classes like this."

Daniel hid a small grin, he had already thought about the possibility. Graham and Paddy pouted.

"As for the points we could always claim ignorance. She could assume it was the Weasleys" Helena proposed.

Saeko smirked "Careful my dear, your scales are beginning to show."

The blonde just inclined her head as Ashley giggled "Saeko's right, that's positively Slytheriny."

"But saying the truth would be better – she might subtract points for it but we could also gain them for the spell work" said Angela, one of Michelle's posse.

"Slytherins, Slytherins everywhere!" Ashley said in mock panic. The rest just appreciated the cunning and nodded at Angela.

X

**Charms Classroom**

When professor Flitwick entered the room his eyes were immediately drawn to the pink among the sea of black. He chuckled but beside that he said nothing and took his usual post on the small podium. He took the attendance as usual only pausing at Daniel's name "And of course the trend-setting mister Fairbanks. Very fetching. Is that a dye or a spell?"

"A spell sir" Daniel said respectfully.

"Ah" the charms professor nodded, "In that case 20 points for Ravenclaw for a flawless human transfiguration. Other than that I would advise you to stay out of professor McGonagall's sight, such spells should not be performed by your year without supervision."

Daniel nodded and sat down. Flitwick smiled and returned his gaze to the rest of the class "Now, where was I. Ah yes, Miss Farrow?"

"Here" replied the girl in question as the class progressed normally.

Up behind the tables Saeko murmured "Only 20 points?"

Lauren who sat next to her Ravenclaw friend murmured back "That was you? Of course it was, who else. And twenty points is quite a lot especially since you are breaking the rules."

"We just wanted a bigger buffer for when our resident cat lady catches the wind of it" Saeko explained.

The red-head eyes widened "Of course! That makes sense. By the way, why?"

Saeko shrugged "Daniel lost a bet and those were the terms. I was approached to perform the penalty."

"The hair is actually quite good but the pink is atrocious" the Slytherin said after she looked at the boy in question more thoroughly.

"That was the intention I think. Graham's idea."

"Gifford? Yeah, that does sound like him" Lauren mused.

X

The Ravenclaws eagerly made their way to the Great Hall for lunch – their Head of House did make them work quite hard. Slumping in their respective seats they filled their plates with the English delicatessen that was Beef Wellington. Saeko merely scrunched her nose and carefully picked out the pieces of meat.

Naturally their arrival had caused quite a stir, many eyes darting from Daniel to the Weasleys twins. Besides a few interspersed chuckles and comments no one seemed to mind. Ashley subtly pointed at the headmaster who seemed to giggle at Daniel's situation.

Saeko sighed in relief when her plate disappeared and was replaced with a much lighter, and arguably tastier, meal. It was an almost common occurrence now but the system was hard to decipher. "What's your deal with the kitchens?" Caitlin finally asked.

"Feed me like an athlete" was the simple reply.

Before another discussion about how spoiled the ninja was a dreaded figure approached them, unseen by those whose backs were to the centre of the Hall. Professor Snape seemed to cast an ominous shadow on the group as he towered above them "I find myself astonished that the intelligence of the student's body seems to diminish every single year."

The group fell silent as did the majority of said student body, some of them shamelessly enjoying the show. Snape sneered "Arrogant fools! The sheer stupidity of trying a sixth year spell while you are mere third years is just so typical of Ravenclaw. Wise is most definitely not the adjective I would use in regards to your House. Twenty points from Ravenclaw and that's only because I'm letting professor McGonagall deal with this."

With that the Potions Master left. As soon as the students resumed talking and Snape was safe out of hearing rage Helena sighed "There goes the buffer."

All of them nodded sagely. Ash rubbed her brow "I completely forgot about him. But hey, it could've been worse."

"Wait for it" Peter trailed out as McGonagall stepped into the great Hall.

Graham put his hands up as in surrender "Ok, I admit, this was stupid. We should've done this on a weekend."

Daniel shrugged "I think it wouldn't have mattered much. Besides, the real problem is that I thought that bleaching my hair would be some kind of simple color-changing spell."

"That wouldn't have worked" Saeko spoke up in her defense, "not for a full day anyway. And it would look horrible, this looks much better and I don't do sloppy work."

"Mister Fairbanks!" a loud Scottish-accented voice said not far from them.

"Here we go" Caitlin murmured, bracing for another lecture.

McGonagall launched into a long speech detailing the danger of what they did, never mind it was not that horrifying. Finally the professor seemed to calm down a little and asked "Who performed it?"

All looked at the ninja who looked nonplussed "It was I."

The woman humphed, her ire abated a bit seeing it was her star student "Don't you ever do that again! Thirty points from Ravenclaw!" After that she interrogated Daniel and Saeko. Before leaving she shook her head "So stupid, and just for a bloody bet! But since there seems to be no problem you can keep it for the rest of the day."

Daniel looked horrified while those all around tried to keep their poker face and not irritate the professor any more than she already was.

The rest of their lunch continued without any more incidents. Nonetheless when they all finished eating the third year group was all too ready to flee. As they exited the Great Hall professor McKenna stopped them and said "Take 20." Without anything more Deirdre left.

After a beat of silence Caitlin spoke up "Did she mean points?"

"I think so" Graham replied.

"Cool" Ashley summed it up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you got who Yorick is right away, you deserve a cookie.<strong>


	42. 3- 42 Planning 101

**AN: Sorry for the delay, I really had much to do for school. This chapter is a quick one, the next one will be up shortly.**

* * *

><p><strong>*Planning 101*<strong>

"Hello, love" Saeko murmured and kissed her girlfriend on her cheek.

Faith jumped up in surprise "Blimey! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me!"

"But that is so much fun" the Uchiha said with a grin.

The Brit sighed dramatically and turned in Saeko's arms to peck her on the lips. As she stepped back she arched her eyebrows at her girlfriend's attire "You clean up well."

"Dōmo" Saeko said with a wink. Since it was Valentine's Day the ninja decided to make a bit of a show and dressed in a semi-formal kimono in Uchiha colors.

"What brought this on?" Faith asked as she looked on in appreciation.

Saeko shrugged "I had it with me and thought 'why not'."

"It looks really nice. _Really_ nice but aren't you cold?" Faith pointed at the ninja's feet which were clad only in open sandals and socks.

"Nah. Ready to go?"

"You _are_ aware that Hogsmeade is still under snow" Faith clarified.

The black-haired kunoichi just smiled "But you can feel the spring just waiting behind the corner."

"That might be but it's still freaking cold."

"Hush, worry not and enjoy this fine day. Clear skies, sunshine, fresh air and a beautiful woman at my side – a perfect moment" Saeko said charmingly.

Faith did as she was prompted and the couple walked towards the magical village in silence. Despite that the Brit was much less versed in achieving some manner of inner peace as Saeko was and halfway down the road she began chatting away about the happenings in Hufflepuff House.

"Three Broomsticks?" the ninja proposed.

"Oh, sure"

The couple entered the packed pub. It looked like all the students who decided on today's outing were in there, getting something warm to drink before hitting the shops. Faith was lucky to find a spot recently vacated by a Hufflepuff she knew while Saeko went for their drinks.

As Faith resumed talking about what her little sister has been up to the Uchiha smiled softly and sipped her hot cider. The thing was that Hogwarts was peaceful. In Konoha one learned to relax when possible and, as Shikamaru would put it, look at the clouds, but the village was always hectic – ninja returning from a mission, others rushing to a meeting, some carrying an injured teammate to the hospital and the occasional visible ANBU going on their secretive business.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit out of it" Faith frowned.

Saeko shook her head with a smile "Hm, oh, no not really. Just enjoying the moment."

"That pipe of yours is for tobacco right?" the fourth-year said jokingly.

"Of course, what else would it be?"

"I don't know, weed maybe" Faith winked.

The Uchiha cocked her head to the side "Weed? Like the green stuff in the garden?"

Faith laughed "No, that's slang for marijuana." At Saeko's puzzled look she continued "A drug, recreational drug, it makes you… mellow? Or so they say, I never tried it."

"Huh, why would anyone use that on purpose" Saeko said with a scoff.

"You don't have drugs in Konoha?" Faith asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't think so. Well, the ANBU and chuunin police have them." _And of course those that use poisons and stuff._

The Brit asked suspiciously "Wait, what they use drugs for?"

"Interrogations, sedation of prisoners and similar" Saeko said nonchalantly, not really seeing a problem.

Faith was shocked "You're joking right."

"No, why?" the ninja replied resolutely, already anticipating a fight.

"Wow, like for real? That doesn't seem wrong to you?" the Brit said, outraged.

Saeko began "Not really…"

"WHAT?!" Faith interrupted loudly, loudly enough that some other people nearby turned to look at them.

The Uchiha just glared at them until they turned back. Looking back at her girlfriend she spoke "It's just like _veritaserum_ you use in Britain. It's non-invasive and you know the answers you seek right away. It works!"

Faith deflated "I guess. It totally tramples on basic human rights, though. But from what I know about wizarding society and its medieval ways I wouldn't put it past them to torture" she finished with a weak grin to indicate she was joking.

Saeko put on her best Uchiha blank face "Yeah, we wouldn't want that."

Before the muggleborn could begin another lecture about the backwards society of magicals Saeko proposed lunch.

Faith smiled "Great idea! I'm in the mood for something sweet. Do you think Madame Rormerta has crêpes?"

"I'll ask" Saeko smiled and hopped from her seat.

When the black-haired teen returned she brought another set of drinks "We're in luck, it looks like Madame Rosmerta doesn't limit herself to shepherd's pies and boiled peas."

The busty fourth-year chuckled "Still haven't gotten used to our food, huh?"

Saeko made a face "Too heavy. It's a wonder it still surprises people. Ash comments on it almost every day. Speaking of Ashley, did you know she wants to get a tattoo? I don't understand the appeal."

Faith arched her eyebrows "You _are_ aware you have several tattoos on your person, right?"

"Those are seals, not tattoos. Their purpose is different" the ninja answered.

"Yeah, that storage thing. So it works on a person as well, huh. What do you have sealed in your wrists and arms then?" the Brit asked eagerly.

Saeko took off her customary gloves to show her twin storage seals on her wrists "I can seal my wand in here – conceal it and quick draw."

Faith nodded "Cool, no one here would expect that."

"That is precisely the point" Saeko nodded with a small smirk.

"And the other one?"

"A knife, just in case" Saeko said severely downplaying her tantō.

The Hufflepuff seemed impressed "And the rest?"

"A communication seal. Anyways, it's not for show, they are fully functional" the Uchiha finished.

Faith smirked and made a show of looking "They still look great."

Saeko winked and put her gloves back on "Good to know."

"What does Ashley want to get?" the Puff asked.

"Some Egyptian or Aztec thing" Saeko answered with a shrug.

"That figures" Faith chuckled.

The scarred teen nodded emphatically "Too true. Besides, no matter how much of a hippie her mother is she won't permit Ash get a tattoo this young."

"You know the word hippie!" Faith grinned broadly and nearly clapped her hands.

Saeko rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

The third-year students of Care for Magical creatures were waiting for their professor to arrive. Kettleburn was already fashionably late but that was nothing unusual for this particular teacher.

"At least he left the fires for us" Paddy commented.

The group hummed. A Gryffindor boy spoke up "Well, we were meant to study Ashwinders and those are born from fires, right? Maybe we should do something with them?"

"Magical fires. Those are not" Chloe Siler, a Hufflepuff, spoke up.

The students fell silent again and huddled closer to the fires. All of them had the foresight of using a heating charm but sitting on blankets on the snow was still uncomfortable.

"Their eggs are used in the Love Potion" Michelle shared.

…

"They can also cure some fevers. Oh, and malaria" Lauren contributed.

…

After another stretch of silence another Slytherin, Carran McDonnel, spoke up angrily "If Kettleburn doesn't arrive in the next five minutes I'm leaving! And I'm bringing this to professor Snape."

"Well, we did just learn three facts about our object of study" Peter joked.

Some of the more studious third-years glared at both Carran and the Ravenclaw. "Do you think Kettleburn finally blew himself up?" one spoke.

"Or maybe he got eaten by one on his _fascinating creatures_" a Gryff mocked the man further.

The third-years laughed, that would be so like him.

"Pity Helena doesn't take Care, we could've played cards"

A Puff spoke up "I have Uno with me."

Peter nearly jumped up "Sweet!"

"What's Uno?" asked Archibald the III. Connolly and Leon Blackwood, both purebloods.

Seeing as everyone seemed amenable the Puff took out the deck from his bag and began explaining the rules.

Since Kettleburn still didn't show up and the Slytherins got over their reluctance to play a 'muggle game' the cards were dealt.

"Look at us, inter-House communication. Dumbledore would be so proud" a Gryffindor smirked.

X

"Draw 4! Hah, take that you slimy prick!"

"You son of a whore!" the enraged recipient shouted.

"Calm down! It's just a game!" a Puff tried to moderate.

"It's easy for you to say, you won the last round and now you have only three cards left."

"Are you really pointing fingers, you made me skip my turn twice in a row!"

"Oh, shut up! Everybody knows you cheated a game back!" spat out a blonde Gryffindor.

"You just can't accept defeat"

"Chill out guys, this is getting ridiculous" Saeko sighed, a headache already in force.

"Oh, please, shut up and go screw Faith"

"Caitlin!"

"Forget the Irish skank, this is serious! You've been cheating?"

"If you didn't notice before, you don't get to throw a hissy fit."

"Y'all are going overboard with this!"

"Chuck it fatso!"

"At least his blood is pure!" a Slytherin said haughtily.

"If your parents got divorced, would they still be brother and sister?"

"Goddammit, this is too far! Don't drag this shit into it!"

"Yeah, let's just continue. It's your turn fiend"

"Reverse!"

"Draw two!"

"NOT AGAIN!"

The students began shouting once more but before the arguments could escalate a jovial voice could be heard "Sorry I'm so late but I needed to feed the hippogyffs and there was a small accident" Kettleburn paused to look at his students and saw their flushed faces and gritted teeth, "Did I miss something?"

"Hn"

X

The Ravenclaw students that just finished Care walked in silence to their Common Room. Everybody was angry or frustrated and just had enough of company for the day. As they snapped at the door guardian their answer to the customary riddle they managed to get into the Tower with minimal shoving but their frowns never eased.

The rest the third-years were already there, waiting for their friends. As if sensing the mood of the newcomers the rest of the Ravens quieted down and smiled uncertainly.

To lighten the mood Helena asked "Poker?"

"NO!" the group shouted in unison.

"What did I say?" the blonde asked as her friends went all to their rooms.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko was reading over her Herbology essay for any mistakes, very glad it was finally over and she had more time for actually useful things.

"Excuse me, may I have a word?" said a male voice.

The brunette looked up and saw an older year she hasn't interacted with before. She put down the parchment "Yes?"

"I'm John Lavoie, I'm in Frost's year" said the older teen.

"Charmed" Saeko replied with a smile.

John shuffled his feet awkwardly "Gerry Frost said you're in charge of his PT. Well, the Team's PT."

"That is correct" the Uchiha trailed out, unsure of what he wanted.

More shuffling plus a nervous clearing of throat "Could you I don't know, make an exercise plan for me? Or just some tips?"

Saeko arched her eyebrows "Why?"

"I kinda want to be a cop. In the muggle word I mean. I want to join the Academy. Could you help me?" John finally blurted out.

The jounin pondered that for a while, she already was quite busy after all. But then again, John looked quite pathetic with his puppy dog eyed impression. '_It could be an amusing pet project_' Saeko thought but out loud she said "I could, yes."

John looked at the Uchiha expectantly, a small smile forming on his lips. Saeko held up her hand and eyed the boy sternly "But first tell me, what brought this on? Are you really decided or you just saw some cool detective TV show and got star-struck? If I'm going to help you I want to know I won't be losing time with it and next month you won't be telling me you want to be a veterinarian instead."

"No, no, I'm decided. I'm still fascinated by all the magic and such but I always wanted to go back in the muggle world. I fit in better and I like it much more, no shitty pureblood politics. Dad's a cop, as is my uncle. My brother joined the Academy this fall. I thought hard about it and it's what I want. And with a subtle use of magic I could help so much" John said excitedly.

Saeko allowed herself a small smile "Ok. Why now though?"

"I've been thinking about it for quite a while, since Career Day" the sixth-year began.

"Career Day?" Saeko interrupted.

"One of Flitwick's sessions, in the fifth year. He helps you choose NEWTs subjects and sort things out" John explained. Saeko nodded and the boy continued "Anyway, I'm sure."

The Uchiha probed further "And are you certain it's not just peer pressure? With your family all in uniform…"

"Nah, they actually had higher hopes for me, especially since I was chosen to go 'to a prestigious boarding school' and such" John chuckled.

Saeko nodded "Alright, I'll help. But know this now – if you are in, then you are committed. I hate whining, excuses and half-assed efforts. When I say run 5 laps, you'll run 5 laps. If you don't manage something, tell me. Oh, and I will not be your personal trainer. I'll let you join Jared and I on occasion when we work out but mostly I'll just help you plan. Sometimes you'll train with me so I know where we stand but don't expect me to hold your hand."

John grinned and nodded eagerly "I understand. It's actually more than I figured. I just want to be prepared you know? Tony, my brother, at least did sports at school so he was in pretty good shape but here we are allowed to go lazy."

"True" Saeko admitted and looked over her new charge. Big, even at 16, over-all good material even if Hogwarts' good cooking was not lost on him but nothing a bit of exercise wouldn't fix.

"So?" John asked, nearly hopping in anticipation.

The Uchiha hummed "How much time do we have and what is the result you seek?"

"I'll be old enough to go to the Police Academy right after Hogwarts but maybe I'll take a year off after it. As for the results, well, I just want to be ready for the training they'll give me" said the Brit.

"So you want to lose that belly of yours and be fit enough not to cry when they put you trough the gauntlet" Saeko translated with a grin.

John blushed "Yeah, that about right."

The girl's grin got wider "Excellent. You'll train three times a week at least 90 minutes so pull out your schedule and pencil that in. I have time now so you and I are going for a run, Quidditch season is fast approaching and I won't have much time to supervise you."

John rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "Actually I have a study group in a few minutes. Would you have time in the evening maybe?"

"Alright" Saeko shrugged, "two hours before dinner. Be here or don't bother talking to me again."

"I'll be here" the Brit said resolutely.

Saeko nodded "Good."

Hearing the dismissal John grinned and walked off with a wave. The Uchiha felt a pang of sympathy, he sure didn't know what he just signed off on. _Fun, fun, fun_.

"What was that?" Ashley asked as she approached her roommate.

"My good deed of the day" Saeko replied with a smile and returned to her essay.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2: Have a nice day :-)<strong>


	43. 3- 43 Fall of an Enemy

***Fall of an Enemy***

"After the long hiatus quidditch is back, bitches!" Wayne said as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Oh yeah!" Rory joined in.

Frost chuckled as he sat beside his teammate on the quidditch stands "You are aware that we are not playing, right? We are spectators."

Both chasers shrugged and turned their gazes back to the field with a grin. Jamie grinned as well "Alright team, let's see how the Puffs and Gryffs upped their game since autumn."

"It doesn't really matter, we'll flatten everybody in our way" Jared smirked and offered a high-five to Saeko who obliged with a smirk of her own.

"Hell yeah!" the rest of the team chorused. Some of the other Ravens who were sitting nearby cheered as well, spurred by their team's confidence.

"So, who do you think will win today?" the Irish chaser spoke up.

Saeko tapped her chin in thought "Helena's little bookie club say the Badgers. I agree, the Gryffs' seeker is worth…"

"Shit?" Jared decided to help.

"Sounds about right" Saeko grinned as everybody laughed.

As the group continued to talk and joke the moment of the kick-off approached. Both playing Houses made a big production – sea of scarlet and a veritable ocean of yellow cheered as the players were called onto the field.

Madame Hooch blew her whistle and threw the quaffle in the air. The entirety of the Hogwarts student body let out a loud cheer, all of them eager to forget classes and homework and watch the first match after the winter break.

After a few minutes of play Jamie muttered loud enough for her team to hear "Gryffindor chasers are really good."

"Almost as good as us, emphasis on the almost" Rory said confidently.

"I wouldn't worry, they might have a good team but are unable to seal the deal. The problem is next year – Wood might find a decent seeker" Saeko analyzed sharply.

There was a beat of silence as the quidditch players digested the Uchiha's words. Finally Jamie spoke up "Let's concentrate on this season. Right now we have a definite advantage over the Lions and we already beat Hufflepuff."

"If the Gryffs lose they are out of the running" James said with satisfaction.

Jared hummed "Those Weasleys are going to be a problem."

"Nothing we can't handle" Saeko said as she eyed the boys in question, "They coordinate well but we have more practice."

Frost nodded "Plus you are far stronger, more agile too."

Both beaters smiled at the praise. Wayne summed it up "Still, our best shot is to out-seeker them."

"Predictable but still efficient" Saeko said as all of their eyes zeroed at Samuels who was flying high, frantically looking for the elusive golden snitch.

The match progressed with Gryffindor in the lead – the female chasers were truly excellent and it seemed Pierce had something to prove.

Suddenly Fraiser went in for a dive, evidently seeing the snitch. Up in the Ravenclaw section Jamie sighed "Adrien's gonna be pissed."

"Fraiser catches the snitch! Hufflepuff WINS!"

The yellow-clad fans let out a roar, nearly deafening the commentator's recap of the match. Saeko looked at her girlfriend jumping and shouting over at the Badgers stands "I'm _so_ gonna get laid."

X

Faith slammed Saeko against the wall and practically assaulted her lips. The Uchiha moaned and eagerly reciprocated. Faith was high on her Houses' victory and Saeko definitely loved the rough treatment she got as a result.

Clothes were deemed redundant at his point, their movements frantic and frenzied. Seeing her lover's mood Saeko decided to let Faith do as she pleased with her and was rewarded with a deep bite to the juncture of the neck and shoulder which made her moan embarrassingly loud.

Faith spent considerable time the ninja's breasts. "God I love these."

"You've got a bigger and far better pair" Saeko said in a breathy voice as she arched into her girlfriend's touch.

"Debatable"

The Puff scarped Saeko's sides as her hand moved lower, one to rest on her girlfriend's hip and the other further down. The Uchiha's eyes closed, lips parted, brow furrowed and her skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat.

Saeko unashamedly rode Faith's hand. She pulled Faith impossibly closer, draped her leg over Faith's hip and dropped her head on the Brit's shoulder as her fingers worked. The ninja tugged at the chestnut hair she had in her fist in an unspoken desire for _more_. Faith obliged without delay, teasing was not on the menu today.

When her climax hit Saeko threw her head backwards in a silent scream, hitting her head quite hard against the wall but that didn't seem to even register.

Faith held her upwards with her body and lavished the ninja with languid kisses. When Saeko's breathing calmed down she murmured "Go Badgers."

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Dorms<strong>

Saturday afternoon found the trio lounging in Saeko and Ashley's room. Helena was reading as usual while Ash tried her hand at Spanish guitar. The ninja was laying on her bed in her yukata and was smoking her pipe with her eyes closed.

"How come the smoke goes right out of the window?" Ash asked.

"Magic" Saeko shrugged, never opening her eyes.

The small brunette sighed "I know, I just wanted to start a conversation."

"Could've tried the weather" the Uchiha chuckled.

"It is unusually warm and sunny for this time of year" Helena decided to participate.

Ash made a face "Ugh."

The blonde rolled her eyes "How about the fact that Saeko wears her Japanese stuff more lately."

"Oh yeah, I noticed that too" the smaller brunette perked up, "Why's that?"

Saeko just shrugged "I just feel like it. I like those clothes and me being awesome curbs the weird looks it used to get."

"I like it" Helena commented.

Ashley looked over at her roommate "Yeah, it's not bad. I like my style better though."

"Ripped jeans and otherwise scruffy clothes?" the tea connoisseur arched her eyebrows and looked pointedly at her friend.

"Precisely" the smaller brunette answered with a cheeky grin.

Helena sighed in mock exasperation and turned to the kunoichi "We could play chess, we haven't in quite a while."

"No way, I wanted to have some fun, not watch you two stare at an 8x8 board" Ashley replied and crossing her arms with a stern expression.

"Cards?"

"We do that all the time" Ash countered.

"Go to the Common Room and let the others amuse us?" Saeko asked.

The small brunette rolled her eyes "How imperial. Our housemates are not court jesters."

Helena chuckled "Yeah, leave that to the Gryffindor twins."

"You know" Ashley mused, "if I had been born a boy I would be called either Fred or George."

Saeko frowned "Fred Weir? That sounds strange. George sound nice though."

Ash shrugged "Frederick was my dad's dad."

"I would be called Desmond Fitzpatrick Ulysses Grey" Helena said in a neutral voice, obviously expecting comments.

Ashley grimaced, obviously trying to contain her laughter with all her might. Saeko just smirked "That's… long."

"Could've been worse. I know for a fact that the late House of Robbins liked names that written down were as long as your forearm" the blonde sighed.

"Hey, so Helena is not your only name? Come on, spill" Ash nearly hopped on her bed.

"Helena Grace Tabitha Grey."

The smaller Brit frowned "Huh, that's actually kinda cute. What about you Saeko?"

"Yes, I find it cute as well" the ninja replied, deliberately missing the point. Both Brits glared at her and she held up her hand in surrender "I would be Uchiha Sasuke. I'm glad I don't have it, I'd sound like a sissy."

Helena and Ashley both laughed. The brunette continued "It's not so bad. Or does it mean something?"

"Let's change the topic, I don't like talking about that. Fugaku, my father, was quite adamant about the fact he would've preferred a Sasuke to me. On the other hand I do get a warm feeling from the fact I pissed him off the moment I was born, very satisfying."

Ash was taken aback but Helena nodded "Father too wanted a boy, an heir to his business empire, but he got two girls instead. I'm more than glad his pride meant he taught me the ropes instead of finding me a husband and marrying me off."

Saeko nodded sagely "I hear you. I guess you are to remain a Grey even after marriage, to preserve the name?"

"Indeed. I'm glad, it should mean he won't be pawning me off to someone like the Nott, families with a name of their own. Thank Merlin for that" the blonde sighed in relief.

The smallest of the trio interjected "Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about?"

"Pureblood politics" Helena answered as though it was obvious.

"Or the classic politics of those who feel more entitled than others. At home only the Hyuuga and Uchiha are so stuck-up. The rest of the Clans are more relaxed, our Clan should loosen up in a few more years or so, nii-san has to slowly replace the council" Saeko chimed in.

Ashley frowned "I heard that most of the pureblooded families still use marriage contracts. Somehow I thought that only applied for Slytherins."

Both Saeko and Helena shrugged. The blonde spoke up "Well, it seems Saeko has dodged a bullet there, me I'm not so sure. But business is going really well at the moment so I think I'll get to choose my spouse."

"And you are okay with that, your family possibly choosing for you?" Ash asked.

"That's just the way it is. I think being the heir gives me leeway, my little sis might not be so fortunate" Helena said with slight worry.

Saeko decided to change the subject "Right, Vanessa. She should be starting school next year right?"

"Yes but she will go to Beauxbatons" the blonde revealed.

Ashley deflated, she was clearly eager to meet little Grey "Why?"

"She wants to" Helena said with a shrug and shared no more.

"Pity," said Saeko "siblings are always fun."

Helena rolled her eyes "Most the time yes, the rest she's a royal pain in my ass. She would be a Gryff for sure, part of the Weasley Pranking Funclub."

"There is such a thing?" Ash asked with mirth.

"Peeves is the president" Saeko joked.

* * *

><p><strong>Summoner<strong>**'s Realm**

"Did something happen? You said you'll be on a mission this month" Saeko asked worriedly as soon as she arrived at their usual meeting place.

Itachi uncharacteristically smiled "The mission had been a success, my ANBU team and I killed Orochimaru."

Saeko was speechless for quite a while "What? Wow! Really?"

"Yes" the Uchiha lord replied.

"That is wonderful news!" the girl grinned widely and hugged her brother. Going against a ninja of Orochimaru's caliber and staying uninjured was an amazing accomplishment. She took a step back and playfully hit the man's chest "Uchiha Itachi killer of our strongest and most wanted missing nin, how am I going to beat that?"

"There's no need, Konoha ANBU caught him and eliminated him as is their job. It makes Konoha look much better this way" Itachi said with mild reproach.

The kunoichi nodded sagely "You're right. Now give me the details. I know that much of it is classified, ANBU mission and all, but what you can."

Itachi obliged "Jiraiya-sama gave us the intel but Orochimaru's presence was only a hunch so he didn't come with us. I took three ANBU teams to take out the base. His guards were very powerful and we lost people. I confronted Orochimaru and immediately used the _Mangekyō_."

"_Tsukuyomi_?"

"I didn't want to take any risks. I used quite a bit of power, I could sense my vision grow weaker" the shinobi sighed.

Saeko frowned "We read that in Madara's journal, it was a possibility."

"We never used it too much, but I could feel the difference" Itachi nodded.

"Well, we can always exchange our eyes. We could do it preemptively when I come back home" the scarred girl proposed.

Itachi shook his head resolutely "No, we still don't know how that works."

"But it would be reasonable. The eternal _Mangekyō_… if both our sets of eyes work it should be feasible" the girl pressed.

"I have to look into it."

"Alright" Saeko nodded, "or maybe you could send some texts to me, I'm not required to go on missions and I can lazy around a fire and do research."

The elder Uchiha sighed "I'll think about it."

Saeko sensing her brother's reluctance just nodded and let the matter go "Just a _Tsukuyomi_? It seems a bit anticlimactic after all he has done."

"We had that plan in place for years in case we caught up to him and we took him by surprise. Also we didn't manage to get his apprentice, he escaped and killed Cricket. I fear that he is a junior Orochimaru in the making so a threat to Konoha remains" Itachi elaborated.

The girl hummed "At least I hope he doesn't share his master's obsession with possessing Uchiha bodies to gain the sharingan."

"Unknown as of yet. We have several of his agents in custody but we had to eliminate nearly all of them. I sure hope it's not the case. Also according to his journal Orochimaru's new body was Uchiha Ren" the Clan Head frowned.

Saeko vaguely recognized the distant relative "That sounds familiar. Wasn't he a MIA some years back?"

"He was."

The kunoichi sighed "Figures. So what's next?"

"Well, given Orochimaru's propensity to traps and making allies in the most unexpected of places, compounded with the fact that his apprentice is still at large, we packed everything in his lab and sent it to our Intelligence department rather than taking over the base. They are sifting through it right now. I guess that will keep them occupied for quite a while. My team is now raiding any labs or other places the Snake has mentioned in his paperwork but this type of information is sparse – he was really cautious" Itachi replied.

Saeko nodded, having expected this outcome "And Cricket? Did you choose a replacement or you just made a super-team for those raids from the survivors of those three teams?"

"I'm training a new recruit on the downtime - Spider, can't say more" the older Uchiha with the smallest of smirks. Itachi always liked teaching ANBU rookies.

The girl chuckled "Sounds fun. Speaking of training, how are you with _mahoujutsu_?"

"To quote my colleagues 'it's damn useful'" Itachi said as he drew his own wand, "Oh, and I said I learned it from you and that it will be kept in-Clan. I was thinking of teaching it to a small group already, what do you think?"

"I'm not really sure we should, I'd rather wait for my education at Hogwarts to be complete. Also the less people know what I'm up to the lesser the risk. Once I'm out we can persuade Ollivander to come to Konoha to outfit the chosen Uchiha chuunin rather than bring them to London" Saeko thought out loud.

Itachi nodded "Good plan, I agree."

"But" Saeko said with mischief in her eyes, "that doesn't mean you get to wait. En garde dear brother!"

The Uchiha lord gripped his wand tightly and smiled "Hai, Saeko-senpai!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I had to get rid of Orochimaru or it could<strong>**'ve screwed up canon – during the pre-shippuuden break Orochi was busy with Sasuke so no big nefarious plots against Konoha were hatched (or at the very least executed) but since Sasuke is missing from my story…**

**I would really appreciate some feedback on Orochi's demise… Pretty please, *sad pleading eyes, trembling lips***


	44. 3- 44 Novelty

***Novelty***

**DADA Classroom**

Miss McKenna entered the room and the students immediately fell silent. The professor nodded and proceeded to calmly pace before the black board "Today I'll show you something new." The class erupted in hushed murmurs which stopped the instant the duelist glared at them. "Today you will learn how to change a branch into a sword."

This time not even a glare could stop the excited students. "Enough! I know it looks _cool_" Deirdre spat out the word in disgust, "but this is a serious matter. You will not use this spell to for any make-shift fights. If you do I will do everything in my power to have you expelled. Swords are as dangerous as spells but not many people seem to realize that and thus like to wave a blade around because they this it makes them look good. You will not do that, am I clear?"

"Yes, Miss McKenna" the third-years chorused.

"Excellent. This is pretty advanced transfiguration but I have confidence in this group. The incantation is '_mucro_' and you need to run your wand over the length of the branch. Naturally when you train enough you'd only need to grip the branch. Ms Alton, Mr Sadiq, please distribute the branches" the professor instructed.

Saeko thanked the Hufflepuff girl as she received the branch, keeping her face blank. She had a hard time to keep herself from hopping in excitement - this spell was right down her alley. Well, right after fire based curses.

"Alright, now, the key is to focus, you have to imagine really hard the finished product. As in any transfiguration, intent is key. I'm sure I don't have to explain more, professor McGonagall is an excellent teacher" Deirdre said.

When the red-headed professor was sure all eyes were on her she slowly ran her wand the branch in her hand and clearly said "_Mucro_."

If Saeko didn't find the Deirdre sexy before, the sight of her holding a rapier while smirking slightly would've done it. Once everybody got a good look she cast a _finite_ and she held a piece of wood once more. She murmured again and the branch elongated and tuned into an elegant claymore.

After a round of 'ooohs' the Scot ended the spell once more "As you can see the type of sword you create is limited only by your imagination and your ability to concentrate."

Seeing the grin and the anticipation on her student's faces the Scottish professor gave a resolute nod that meant permission to begin. Saeko summoned her wand immediately. With just a brief moment of thought she decided to show off, as always, and to mess with people a little.

"_Mucro_"

The spell had the desired effect and Saeko was holding Zabuza's prized sword.

Peter's jaw nearly hit the desk "That's a huge-ass sword!"

"Compensating for something Saeko?" Caitlin smirked even as she eyed the blade with reverence.

The Uchiha rested the enormous sword on her shoulder "This is a replica of the Kubikiribōchō, a legendary sword from back home."

Deirdre approached her favorite student "May I?" Saeko nodded and carefully handed the sword over.

"Oof" the professor let out in surprise as the blade's tip buried itself into the floor, "I didn't expect it to be so heavy. This is a zanbatō, right?"

The brunette was impressed about her knowledge "Indeed."

"Twenty points for Ravenclaw" the Scot said with a smile and gave the sword back. Saeko bowed slightly in thanks and changed the blade back.

The class progressed without much success – usually by now the majority of the studious Ravenclaws managed the magic taught. But then again, Miss McKenna had warned them this was high level magic.

Helena held her attempt at a rapier of her own "Hey, do your people really use those massive swords or are they just for show?"

Saeko grinned and transfigured her branch into a sword again but this time it was the Samaheda "Oh, they are very much used. Well, not by us per se, this is more Kirigakure's area of expertise." At her friend's arched eyebrows she made some moves with the zanbatō to show the size and weight didn't really matter for a ninja.

"And this one is?" the blonde prompted.

"Samaheda, aka the sharkskin – it doesn't cut, it shaves" Saeko said informatively.

"It's creepy" Ashley wrinkled her nose.

"I think that was the idea. But yeah, Kiri was always bonkers" the brunette said even if that was quite a downplay for the _bloody mist_.

The Brits just stared at Saeko for a little while and then turned to their own work, already used to bizarre comments and stories. The ninja frowned at the humongous sword, not liking the imperfect copy, and performed _mucro_ one more time to get the familiar shape of her own tantō. "Much better" she commented and set it on the table.

"Miss McKenna, when would be best to use this spell? I mean spells are more efficient and far quicker" a pudgy Hufflepuff asked.

Deirdre shrugged "It depends on your fighting style but the greatest upside is that physical weapons, even if made by magic, are able to penetrate most shields. If you are quick enough such a strike can grant you victory. Also many enchanted objects, such as robes that could help in blocking spells, would not be able to withstand a well placed stab. The biggest boon of all is however the possibility to counter the killing curse."

The class gasped, this was something they never heard before, even the Ravenclaws. Miss McKenna nodded and continued "Avada Kedavra, the most horrid of the Unforgivables, is only efficient against organic targets, if it impacts on something else it shatters."

"So if you take cover you can't be killed" Helena mused out loud.

"Indeed" the teacher said with an approving smile, "In the past war there was a quite famous auror that used an old-fashioned wooden shield. Alas it didn't help him much when he was ambushed and three shattering curses took off this protection."

Everybody nodded and went back to trying to make a viable sword. Before long the bell rang and McKenna instructed all the students to put their attempts on her table. The young witches and wizards parted quite reluctantly with their new, however incomplete, weapons.

"Miss Uchiha, would you stay behind for a moment?" the red-headed teacher called out.

Saeko grinned, eager to hear what the duelist had to say. When the classroom emptied the Scot took the sole tantō on her desk "The swords you made were not your first time holding a blade, I can see by the detail and make these were not from imagination but real weapons. Also you held them like someone who knew exactly how to use them."

The kunoichi nodded "Kenjutsu is quite common back home."

"I duel quite often with professor Flitwick to keep me in shape, he is truly brilliant. I also have a swordsman education but I obviously had no time to practice, I was hoping we could spar."

The Uchiha poker face was very much needed since without it Saeko would be left gaping at the teacher "I beg your pardon?"

Miss McKenna rolled her eyes "Spar. If you are indeed versed in swordsmanship you should be familiar with the concept."

Saeko smirked "Indeed I am."

"So?"

"When and where?

"I'm actually meeting professor Flitwick tonight. Come to his office at eight, we usually have a tea first, since you are still a minor it would be appropriate to have your Head of House to supervise" Deirdre mused.

The kunoichi nodded, already scheming how to get some advanced spells for such a favour "I'll be there. But I want your word that when I beat you you will not hold it against me in class or otherwise."

"You wish, but yes, I accept those terms."

"See ya tonight sensei, I'm looking forward to it" Saeko smirked again.

Deirdre smiled sweetly "I believe the phase goes: bring it on!"

The ninja laughed "So I shall."

As Saeko made her way back to the Ravenclaw Tower she smiled smugly – if she played this right she could get a premier duelist feed her new spells and tactics as well as help her hone her magical skills. _I could ask to be present during some of her duels with Flitwick, with my sharingan on it would be a veritable well of knowledge. Fun fun fun!_

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko curtly answered the riddle of the Tower's guardian and entered the common room. Her usual group of friends was all huddled in one corner near the fireplace having a study group. They all looked up when Ashley greeted her roommate and waved.

"Hn" the Uchiha offered with a nod and approached them.

Daniel raised his eyebrows "Someone is in a great mood today."

"Yeah, what happened? Usually when you return from your run you are much more agreeable" Ashley asked.

"I'm fine" Saeko said with a roll of her eyes.

Graham smirked "Uh-oh, my dad told me that when a woman says that it doesn't mean fine at all. The scale goes: great, good, okay, not okay, I hate you, fine."

All the females in the group collectively glared at Graham who gulped and immediately shut up. Peter elbowed his friend "Good job, all of them are _fine _now."

"All right," Daniel butted in "we were just doing the herbology assignment, wanna join?"

"Not really in the mood, but I guess I should. I'm going to change and then I'll be back" the scarred kunoichi sighed and headed to her room.

Saeko grabbed a new shirt and her books. Pausing at the door she backtracked and grabbed her pipe and two bottles of cider she had stashed in a scroll – after her run in with the Hufflepuffs and subsequent argument with Faith she needed something to relax. Especially if they were about to study herbology, the class she considered among the most useless.

After a thrilling hour and half of Puffapods and other exciting plants the group broke in a few smaller ones. Saeko and Helena decided on a game of shougi since they haven't played in a while.

"Hey Saeko, isn't that your pet project over there?" Caitlin asked.

Graham smirked "Her wanna-be cop, that sweaty whale over there?"

The Uchiha moved her lance piece and looked up "He's actually working very hard."

"We can see that" Caitlin chuckled and returned to her debate about brooms with the boys.

Helena cleared her throat to signalize Saeko's turn. The ninja's attention returned to the board and as she took a long drag from her pipe she slowly moved her silver general. The blonde frowned as she focused. She gently tapped her chin and looked up "Hey Saeko?"

"Hm?"

"Can I try?" Helena asked indicated the Chinese pipe with her chin.

Saeko arched her eyebrows "Try what? Smoking?"

Helena nodded and moved her own shōgi piece "I'm curious."

The kunoichi chuckled "They say it's bad for you." At her friend's glare he laughed and gently relinquished her pipe "Do you know how to?"

"Psh" Helena scoffed and eyed the pipe before taking a drag.

"I'll make you some tea" Saeko said after one look at her friend's agonized face.

The pureblood nodded before beginning to cough. With a scratchy voice she whispered "A cup would be nice."

Saeko chuckled "I'll be right back. Hang in there, oh and don't cheat."

"Shut it Uchiha" the blonde replied with another cough.

Quickly climbing the Tower's stairs she paused at Helena's room and knocked. Not getting any response, Michelle had to be downstairs, she entered and snatched the tea paraphernalia she saw on Helena's table.

When she made her way back to the Common Room she was met with a curious sight of nearly all her friends coughing and looking generally miserable "What happened?"

"Graham and Peter laughed at my attempt at smoking and had to try to do better" Helena informed the scarred nin with a smirk.

Caitlin, the current holder of Saeko's precious pipe, smiled proudly "Wussies, all of them. You should see how much grams uses, this is nothing in comparison."

Saeko grinned and handed the kettle and the rest to Helena and took her pipe back. She sighed when she noticed it needed to be refilled "Greedy Brits."

"They are going to pay for it, just wait" the redhead smirked again as she surveyed the mildly green faces around her.

"Hn"

Paddy elbowed the ninja and put his best pleading look on "Can I try again? I heard that everybody coughs at first. Let me try one more time and I'll bet you I'll look suave."

Caitlin laughed and Saeko couldn't help but grin "I'm going to take that bet. All right but this is the last time I'm running upstairs to get something for you people."

X

**Later in the evening**

"This would be so funny if it wasn't tragic" Saeko sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Caitlin and Daniel shrugged. "I puked too when I stole grams pipe" the Irish girl confessed.

"Is a bit of restraint so much to ask?" the ninja continued.

"Apparently not. It is kinda funny though" Daniel chimed in.

The Uchiha rolled her eyes "At least they made it to the bathroom. By the way Daniel, shouldn't you be with the boys?"

"I'll take care of them when they are finished. And I don't see you with Ash nor Helena" said the bespectacled Raven.

"Angela and Joanne are taking care of them since Michelle decided she would participate on the fun and now in the synchronized vomiting" Caitlin answered.

Saeko scrunched her nose "That is disgusting Kate."

"But true" the redhead smirked.

"Hn. They better get rid of it now. If they don't go to class tomorrow because they still feel sick I'll personally kick their asses and drag them down" the Uchiha exclaimed.

Daniel chuckled "I'll pass that along. Well, I'm gonna check on them. See ya tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams" Saeko said sarcastically.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

It was a truly beautiful day, sunny and surprisingly warm for the last day of February. The winter was always hesitant to weaken its grasp on the Scotland highlands but it seemed the approaching spring was coming early this year.

The Ravenclaw quidditch team was worked tirelessly for their match that was to take place two weeks from now, the long-awaited match against Slytherin. Everybody was pretty confident, they trained enough to withstand the brute strength and any underhanded tactics the Snakes could throw at them and if everything failed, Frost would save the day.

The glaring campaign from the green-clad students had already begun a few days ago, they had a reputation to maintain after all, but otherwise things seemed pretty civil.

"Okay people, let's head back down" Jamie announced as she caught the quaffle.

"Thank Merlin, I'm starving!" Wayne exclaimed in joy and immediately aimed his broom to towards the ground.

Among the general sound of agreement the Team landed. As they made their way to the locker rooms Rory grinned "I can't wait for the match, Daveth promised he would bring some kind of great muggle alcohol for the party afterwards."

"Not to mention that Suzie promised she would kiss you if you score a hundred against the Snakes" Wayne chuckled.

"A hundred? Doable but you better bring your A-game to the match" Jared said and slapped Rory's back.

"As if" James scoffed.

Frost perked up "Hey, speaking of party, have you heard that McGonagall was pissed off when three Gryffs had to go to the infirmary cause they wanted to make some big production for the last match of the season. She practically forbade everything except banners."

"What were they trying?" Saeko asked.

"Muggle fireworks" Frost grimaced.

"Ouch" the team chorused.

When they arrived at the divide between male and female locker area Jamie spoke up "You guys don't wait up, I need to talk with Saeko about something." The Uchiha looked at her captain in surprise but nodded nonetheless. The boys shrugged and nodded as well.

When the girls entered their allotted space Jamie sat on the bench that sat in the middle. Saeko leaned her broom on a nearby wall and sat beside the platinum blonde, waiting. From the way Jamie was wreathing her hands it looked serious.

Finally Jamie took a deep breath and began talking, her eyes not meeting the younger girl "I… Hm, this is personal Saeko." The Uchiha nodded, waiting for more. "I… How did you know you were gay?"

Saeko arched her eyebrows in surprise "I was just never attracted to men. At all. My female teacher on the other hand… I talked to my nii-san, sorry, my brother, and he explained. The thought of me even kissing a guy seems wrong."

Jamie just hummed and made brief eye-contact with her beater. When she still said nothing Saeko gently nudged her friend "Talk to me Jamie. I won't judge, I won't gossip, I just want to help."

The Brit nodded reluctantly "You know I have been dating Adrian Kessler the last three months right? The handsome, funny, popular, smart Adrian Kessler."

"Yes of course. There have been envious comments of you 'snatching him'" Saeko nodded.

"I know. There are many girls who would want to be in my place. Problem is I'm not that thrilled to be in my place. Adrian is great but I don't really_ feel_ anything when I'm with him. Not even when he kisses me. Kissing shouldn't be a chore, right?" Jamie said, looking pleadingly into Saeko's eyes.

The brunette smiled slightly "No, it should not. And you think it's because you're gay? Maybe you are just not attracted to Kessler."

"I thought about it since the second week in the relationship. At first I thought I would ride it out, he is my first boyfriend after all. Then I saw you with Faith, making out in a hallway" Jamie said clearly embarrassed, "It was hot. Hell, I was more excited by your display that Adrian ever made me. Then I got a close look at my past interactions with people. There had been girls I had admired – I thought I just wanted to be like them but now I don't know."

Saeko smiled encouragingly "You are confused, that's ok. I don't know how to help you though, maybe just advise you to tell Adrian? If one thing is clear is that Kessler is not the one for you. Stringing him along is not fair to him or to you."

"I know" Jamie sighed.

The brunette smiled again and gave her captain a one armed hug "It's gonna be alright. Hey, then we can raise the rainbow flag and find you a gal."

Jamie laughed and stood up. Both girls then proceeded to shower and change like after any other training session.

When both Ravens were back in 'civilian' clothes Jamie paused at the door "I… No, nothing. Forget it."

Saeko rolled her eyes and crossed her arms "Spill it."

"No, it's dumb" Jamie shook her head, now embarrassed. The Uchiha was clearly not impressed. The blonde sighed "I… I have a favour to ask."

"Well? Anything for my captain" Saeko smirked.

Jamie blushed "Could I kiss you?"

Saeko chuckled "You want to make sure or I'm just that awesome?"

"You are an ass" the blonde shook her head with a small smile.

The Uchiha smirked and approached the blonde "As I said, anything for my captain". When Saeko stood mere inches from the blonde the smirk turned into a small smile. Then she brushed Jamie's lips slightly before joining their mouths together. Saeko backed her captain back onto the wall, thoroughly enjoying their quite certainly only kiss.

Finally separating Saeko asked "So?"

"Not half bad" Jamie blushed.

"Rainbow flag?"

"Rainbow flag."


	45. 3- 45 Some Things Change, Some Do Not

**AN: Sorry for the super late update! Gomen, gomen! But now with only two exams to go I can promise the next chapter will be up soon.**

* * *

><p><strong>*Some Things Change, Some Do Not*<strong>

Saeko was sitting in the Great Hall picking at her breakfast and playing with her tea. When Ashley finally made her way to the table, as always the one who slept the latest, she looked questioningly at her friends who seemed to carefully ignore the Uchiha who was in an obviously bad mood. Again.

"Who pissed in your coffee?" Ash asked despite Peter's signals to leave Saeko alone.

"I don't drink coffee, that's more your area" the ninja replied without looking up.

"It's heaven" the smaller brunette said levelly.

"If you say so"

After a beat of silence Ashley decided to press on "Back to the intent of my question, what's up? You didn't get laid yesterday?"

"I actually did"

"So?" Ash asked while the group subtly listened.

Saeko glared but her roommate didn't let up. She turned her gaze to the rest of her friends who smiled shakily and moved several seats away. Sighing Saeko eventually answered "We argued again."

"Psh, what about?"

The ninja shrugged "I'm thinking of breaking up with her."

Ashley arched her eyebrows in surprise "Really? That bad?"

"She mocked my loyalty to Konoha" Saeko frowned.

"She did not" the Brit rolled her eyes.

"Not really, no but…"

_***Flashback***_

"_You are such a pureblood sometimes!" Faith angrily exclaimed._

"_I just said you don__'t need to criticize the British magical society all the time" the ninja sighed in exasperation._

_The Brit huffed "It's bigoted and…"_

"_Ugh!"_

"_We could talk about your magical society. Oh wait, we can't! You never talk about home" Faith accused._

_Saeko rolled her eyes "I do, but maybe I just don't want you to condemn Konoha."_

"_I can't help it the little you said about it seemed a bit fascist"_

"_We are very much satisfied with our system"_

"_You are practically brainwashed, I mean a single absolutist leader? How backwards is that!"_

"_Being Hokage is my dream as you well know, I__'d appreciate if you didn't comment on the title" Saeko said testily._

"_How can I not! Your village blindly follows orders of one man and twelve or so nobles?_

"_We are a military dictatorship but doesn__'t mean we the mindless sheep you make us to be" the Uchiha nearly snarled._

"_Oh please, I listened to your stories - w__hen the Hokage says jump, you say how high" Faith scoffed._

_Saeko folded her arms and decided to provoke "No, I'm already two feet in the air."_

"_Precisely my point!"_

_***Flashback End***_

"Oh" Ashley said.

"Yeah" Saeko shrugged "there was more, shouting included. Then we had a bit of angry sex, which was awesome by the way."

Ash rolled her eyes "Didn't need to know that."

"I can't be fully honest with her. It irks me. Not even sex can keep this afloat" the ninja shrugged, having already decided.

"So you really plan on breaking up with her?" the smaller brunette asked with dismay.

Saeko sighed "It was always meant to be temporary anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Konoha" Saeko said in a 'duh' voice.

Ash nodded "Oh yeah, right. So you broke up?"

"Not yet, I just walked out." At Ashley's reproachful look the ninja sighed "I know, a bit childish. I'll talk to her today and finish it citing irreconcilable differences."

"You seem almost chipper now, when I came in you were a veritable glum cloud" the Brit said with a fait trace of pride in her voice.

Saeko shrugged "Eh, sulking is not productive. Now I will have more time. On the other hand I'll have to start masturbating again." She paused and then continued with a smirk "Pun not intended but a good one."

"Saeko!"

* * *

><p><strong>Library<strong>

Saeko was sitting at one of the tables near the entrance of the library that she favored when she was feeling social but not that much it would require actually talking to somebody and was reading the letters from Konoha that Itachi gave her after their weekly talk and spar.

Currently she was trying very, _very _hard not to laugh and get expelled from the library by Madame Pince. The letter from Naruto that she's been reading was unusually long and descriptive of his new genjutsu training. She could picture quite clearly this Gamariki, a toad okama, complete with giant lips and make-up. And that _love genjutsu_, hilarious. Of course most of the missive was dedicated to him defeating Hanzo's right-hand man Kandachi. And being a hero. Oh and the fact he can dispel illusions now. As if he could hold at bay a highly trained Uchiha.

With an unsatisfied hum she thought "_Still, killing Kandachi is a pretty big deal, he's getting better. But Naruto, you are not the only one how's getting stronger."_

"Good read?"

Saeko looked up from her scroll and grinned at Lauren "Indeed, I got mail."

"Must be good, you bordered on 'inappropriate volume level for the library'" the Slytherin smirked and sat down next to Saeko.

"Naruto, that rival of mine, never fails to be funny" the ninja replied.

Lauren sighed "That sounds great. Everybody in Slytherin is only mildly entertaining."

"Really? Back in our common room the boys went to build a blanket fort. That's why I'm here" Saeko laughed quietly.

The red-head pouted "Sometimes I kinda wish I had been sorted differently, our common room is always... somber seems a good word for it."

"So the Ravens who the rest of the school sees as bookish bores are actually the life and soul of any party" the kunoichi smirked.

The Slytherin laughed "Seems like it. Then again your House's performances during quidditch hinted at that. Though the Snakes also love a good victory, those parties are brilliant."

"It's something" Saeko replied.

"True" Lauren nodded. Inclining her head the aspirant healer changed the subject "I heard through the grapevine that you and Faith broke up. My condolences."

Saeko shrugged "Meh, it was a long time coming."

"How nonchalant" the red-head said in slight disapproval.

"Not really, I just had this talk five times already and that's not counting the actual break up" the kunoichi explained with a sigh.

Lauren nodded "You're right, I should've realized you didn't want to talk about it. Sorry but it's just too nice a gossip to pass up."

"I don't really mind" Saeko shrugged again, "I just didn't want to seem like a cold bitch. I'm sad but hey, now I have time to read this."

"What is it?" Lauren asked and squinted so she could see the title.

"The _Leviathan_. I'm catching up on my philosophy and political science since those were the topics that caused most friction in my and Faith's relationship" the ninja replied.

The Slytherin smirked "I seem to recall me telling you that relationship between muggleborns and purebloods seldom work."

Saeko smiled at her friend's expression "And you were right."

"Any chance you'll be so heartbroken to throw next week's match?" Lauren asked with a grin.

The ninja couldn't help but laugh "No chance. You know, most people wouldn't ask something like this in fear they would offend."

Lauren shrugged "You don't seem too broken about it, plus Snake remember? We are quote 'slimy bastards'."

"I always wondered about that statement, snakes are not slimy at all, they are dry and scaly. Nice to touch actually. That is if they are not trying to kill you" Saeko mused.

"You broke up with your girlfriend just few days back and you already think about touching Slytherins?" the red-head said with mirth in her voice.

The nin smirked "Your House does have several yummy specimens, you included."

"Dream on Uchiha"

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

"Ready to kick ass?" Jamie said as she dressed in her sapphire blue quidditch uniform.

Saeko grinned "When am I not? And shouldn't it be me to ask this question?"

The older girl sighed "We already talked about it, Adrian took it relatively well. He is a nice guy. I had no problems and I even think he didn't tell anybody."

"Good" Saeko said resolutely.

Jamie smiled but then she paused "Wait, you didn't have anything to do with this, right?"

"I might have had a little chat with the good man" the kunoichi said innocently.

"Saeko…"

The brunette stopped her "Don't worry, he was just a bit confused and I helped clear things up. You were right, he is a nice guy."

"Please elaborate" Jamie said sternly.

The Uchiha sighed "This timing is so wrong, no need to get pumped just before a match" At her Captain's glare she continued "I just explained thing from your perspective, or my best guess. I just made sure he knew you weren't leading him on and that he wasn't at fault. He was sympathetic and wished you the best of luck."

"We did stay friends" Jamie nodded, happy with the outcome.

"See no harm, no foul" Saeko grinned.

"Alright, thanks by the way. Now, let's take Slytherin down a peg!" the blonde declared.

"Yes, mon capitain!"

Both girls joined the rest of the team in the small hallway that lead to the pitch. All of them were primed and ready for the fight that the match will inevitably turn into. There was no need for a speech, they all knew to give their best. Besides, the loud caws that could be heard from the Ravenclaw stands ware reassuring enough. Determined to win, the Team stood in silence, waiting to be called onto the field.

When the commentator called for the Ravenclaw Eagles with the usual flourish they mounted their brooms and flew in. Saeko and Jared threw in some airborne tricks much to the delight of their fans. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor eagerly joined in, House rivalries prominent as ever.

Both the commentator and Madame Hooch went on with their usual pre-match routine but most of the players were focused either inwards or on their enemies.

Finally the match began.

The quaffle went to Flint and the Slytherins immediately set a very fast pace. Coincidentally that's how the Eagles preferred it too.

Saeko and Jared immediately gained possession of the bludgers and set to wreak havoc in the enemy lines. Giller and Dennison, the green beaters, obviously studied the style of their opposition but were not prepared for the sheer strength and cooperation the Ravenclaw duo displayed.

When it was clear that the chasers were more or less evenly matched and that the beaters tipped the scales firmly to the Eagle's favour the Slytherins changed tactics and began a very brutal assault.

In retaliation the Eagles took it up a notch as well.

"_Come on baby, come on, just a little bit further, GOTCHA!" _Saeko thought as she took aim and sent the bludger at the opposing chaser who waited for a pass.

Baxley saw the black ball just in time and veered right, causing him to miss the quaffle which took residence within Jamie's arms.

"_Ravenclaw scores! The Eagles in the lead 130 to 90"_

Flint didn't seem to appreciate the reminder and immediately dove to the Ravenclaw captain, completely ignoring the red ball thrown his way by his keeper. As Jamie evaded the bludger sent her way Flint flew past her and deliberately elbowed her in her face and caught the quaffle sent by his teammate.

"FOUL!"

Despite the professed innocence Ravenclaw was granted a penalty shot which Rory had no trouble scoring. In the meantime Saeko tried to heal her captain but in such a short time Jamie had to fly still a bit dizzy and bruised.

When the game resumed Flint nodded at his teammates with a sadistic grin but before any of Slytherins plays could be made Jared flew by the Snake captain and kicked his broom. As Flint tried to contain the spinning he got caught by a bludger, courtesy of Saeko.

"FOUL!"

The resulting goal was a small price to pay for Flint's arm which he cradled closely to his chest with a pained grimace.

When the sun peeked from the curtain of clouds the House of the Wise immediately used it to their advantage, blinding their opponents and scoring as much as they could before the advantage disappeared.

Saeko and Jared were able to prevent any more injuries but it made them a target. One of Flint's strategies became obvious as the duo found themselves in the crosshairs of every opposing player bar the seeker, which was quite a surprise since they all thought he would go after Frost, the superior seeker on the field.

The strategy proved to be sound when both Saeko and Jared had their hands full and couldn't stop Baxley from deliberately colliding with Frost at the first hint of dive for the elusive snitch.

Enough was enough and Saeko decided they had enough lead to risk another foul. As Dennison was aiming towards her she made her broom shoot forward and made a motion to intercept the bludger. In reality her target was different - Dennison's beaters bat itself. The wooden bat could not withstand the one reinforced with chakra and was smashed in pieces.

The Slytherin beater just gaped at the stump that was left and Saeko made and apologetic face despite grinning on the inside "_Shinobi don't play fair, get used to it."_

The incident was chalked to malfunctioning equipment and the Snake was forced to land to fetch a spare. Flint immediately flew towards Madame Hooch to request a timeout but Frost used this moment to break free and dive for the second time in the game.

At the shouts of the spectators Flint immediately turned back but he and the other green-clad players were intercepted by the Eagles.

Higgs was hot on Frost's tail but was forced to sloth-roll when Jared sent a furious bludger his way. With Dennison temporarily out of play Jared could harass the Slytherin seeker until…

"_Frost catches the snitch, Ravenclaw WINS!"_

Among the cheers and the obligatory caws the Ravenclaw team flew together into a giant embrace. "It looks like we will have that party after all Rory" Jamie grinned.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

* * *

><p><strong>Okama: a japanese cross-dresser<strong>


	46. 3- 46 Genjutsu Awareness Week

**AN: A quick update like I promised! I was in a good mood and part of this chapter was already on paper (figuratively) sooo here you go. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>*Genjutsu Awareness Week*<strong>

Saeko was walking leisurely towards the Charm's classroom after a very refreshing nap she had after training. Since she skipped lunch the Uchiha was snacking on a Konoha field ration bar with a smile on her face – normally she pretty much hated the taste, or the lack of taste, but it reminded her of home.

The smile turned more neutral when she spotted her ex-girlfriend and her friends. "Hey" she greeted.

Faith, Abby and Serena just glared and walked past. Saeko arched her eyebrows "Ooookay, nice to see you too."

With a roll of her eyes the Uchiha resumed her journey. The Charms classroom was only half-full, there was still enough time before the bell. Saeko sat down on her usual spot next to Helena who was reading a book as always.

The ninja waited a little while to be acknowledged but since the blonde seemed to prefer the book to her friends company Saeko started poking Helen's side. With a huff the Brit closed the book and glared "What?"

"Sooo I met Faith and her friends few minutes ago. She seemed pissed and didn't even say hi" Saeko explained the situation.

Helena didn't lose her annoyed look "Makes sense, you did dump her."

The Uchiha frowned "I'd like to think it was mutual."

"Yeah, it seems she doesn't agree" the blonde said airily.

"It's not like it was entirely my fault" Saeko said defensively, "I just said the words but we argued all the time the last month."

Before Helena could reply another voice spoke up "Hey guys, why is the Uchiha pouting?"

Saeko turned and glared at her Slytherin friend "I do not pout."

"Could've fooled me," the blonde murmured, "Hello Lauren."

"I do not pout. Uchiha don't pout"

Both Brits ignored Saeko and continued their dialogue "So what's up?"

Helena shrugged "Teenage drama."

Lauren nodded solemnly but Saeko almost shrieked "Teenage drama? The hell? You are a teenager too last I checked."

"Faith thinks she's a jerk" the blonde explained further.

"Ah" Lauren smirked, "And look, she's pouting again."

Since Saeko refused to talk, the purebloods carried the conversation without her until the bell rang.

Finally professor Flitwick hopped on his elevated position behind the desk and after greeting his students he took attendance. Satisfied that nobody was missing he announced "Today you will be learning the _Protego_, the Shield Charm."

Excited murmurs erupted, this charm was usually for fourth-year curriculum. Flitwick smiled "Indeed. Most of you know of this charm and some of you even know how to perform it. Given the nature of your DADA classes I would say it's time to officially learn it."

"Many witches and wizards rely on _Protego_ too much and neglect dodging and evasion but I trust Miss McKenna stressed the importance of such maneuvers both in dueling and other matters. Also keep in mind that this spell is only the most basic of shields and can be broken. Furthermore it protects only in one direction and it doesn't work on physical objects not even those conjured."

"Despite those shortcomings it should suffice in most if not all situations you will come across" the professor finished.

After explaining the spell in great detail Flitwick clapped his hands together in excitement and drew his wand "Now for the demonstration. Mister Sadiq, if you please."

"Sir?" the bewildered Ravenclaw asked.

The diminutive teacher grinned "Attack me. Something basic, the Stinging Charm perhaps?"

Aaron blinked in surprise but drew his wand. With a murmured incantation a thin ray of white light shot from his wand. Professor Flitwick theatrically and with exaggerated movement and pronunciation cast "_Protego_!"

The jinks harmlessly dissipated and the students clapped politely. The quarter goblin bowed to his audience "This was a very easy spell to block but even a stronger one would fail. The beauty of this charm is that the strength of shield is proportionate to the magic behind it. The more juice you give it the more you are protected. True masters use a small area shield but very powerful but the usual method is a wider protection since it requires less control and less accuracy."

"Now" the professor continued, "Let's see how you do it."

Immediately the room was filled with murmured incantations and sparely some frustrated shouts of "_Protego_!"

Half an hour into the lesson everybody managed to at least materialize some blue light, the tell-tale signs of the charm. Flitwick clapped to get the classes' attention "Excellent. I see you managed to get the basics down. Now for the important part – the blocking itself."

Not really sure what he meant the student stayed silent. The man continued "Split into pairs and try it out. The first one of the two will be casting, hmmm, yes, the tripping charm and his partner will try to block. Please no maliciousness, make sure your partner is prepared and be obvious."

Saeko looked at her left where Helena nodded. With her partner in tow the ninja moved down to the open space. When everybody was settled they began.

Neither Saeko nor Helena had any problems. Both of them knew how to cast the _protego_ efficiently already – Saeko because it was hands-down one of the most useful spells for combat and the blonde because her father deemed it necessary to know how to protect herself from any potential underhandedness of his business rivals.

Not far from the two Ravens, Aurora and one of her Slytherin followers were paired up. It was obvious that both girls were fairly good but since Saeko had heard more than one comment about 'brutish beaters that at least had enough decorum to ditch that mudblooded pet of hers' from the blonde Snake she decided to mess with her a little.

Just when Aurora's partner was about to fire Saeko used her sharingan to screw up the blonde's timing. The ninja took great pleasure when the bitchy Slytherin fell onto her rear.

"Let's switch it up, shall we?" Flitwick spoke once more, "The Water Jet Charm. Go!"

Saeko blocked the water sent her way without difficulty. After a few more turns her eyes wandered to the Slytherin's queen bee and Aurora 'mysteriously' got splashed right into her face.

When the bell finally rang most of the students got practice for homework, the drenched Aurora included. If Saeko wasn't an Uchiha she would openly giggle.

"Class is over" Flitwick announced. Among the usual mess that was everybody talking and packing the Ravenclaw Head of House spoke up once more "Could my Ravens please stay behind?"

The blue-clad students obliged and sat back down, curious.

"It might've come to your attention that banned substances, cannabis and the _Tingly Mushrooms_, appeared at in our House. Last night several Ravens came into the Tower, ah what was the muggle colloquialism? Ah 'high as a kite'" Flitwick said sternly.

The class erupted in murmurs.

"Hence the 50 point drop you may have noticed this morning" the Head of House continued.

*Hiss* The Ravenclaws as any other House really hated losing points.

Flitwick continued his reprimand "I know school is stressful, especially in the 7th and 5th year but this shall not be tolerated."

The quarter-goblin looked over his charges with a stony expression "If I catch you relying on such crutches again the punishment will be more than just point loss and detention. You may go."

With this dismissal the students stood up and trailed out of the room. Everybody was talking about the revelation. They all agreed it must've been some of the older years.

Ashley turned to her roommate who stayed silent during the discussion "What do you think Saeko?"

The ninja shrugged "I'm tad disappointed I couldn't join in on the fun."

"Hear, hear" Graham nodded.

Ashley and Helena shook their heads in exasperation.

* * *

><p><strong>Great hall<strong>

"What's that shit?" Caitlin asked as she plopped down on her usual spot beside her friends and pointed at Saeko.

The ninja looked up with thinly veiled disgust "I believe it's Shepherd's pie."

"I know that" the Irish girl said with a roll of her eyes, "I meant that, your drink."

Saeko brightened up considerably and held her glass up "Apple and beetroot juice! A new elf must've arrived or they read some new cookbooks."

"Ugh, you and all that healthy stuff" Graham chimed in.

"And you think pumpkin juice is better?"

Daniel turned from her discussion with Helena "I actually agree with Saeko, pumpkin juice might be traditional but its nutritional value makes me weep."

"You're prissy" Graham said good-naturedly, "and we all know Saeko is weird. Look, she isn't even eating!"

"Did I mention I hate the shepherd's pie" the Uchiha said in explanation,

"YES" everybody said in chorus

The scatted teen shrugged "It bears repeating."

Peter smirked "I actually thought you were cautious, we all know we don't want a repeat of the day before yesterday."

Indeed they all were a bit weary of their meals - two days ago_ someone_, read Weasleys, if their detention was to be believed, spiked all the drinks with giggling potion. Giggling consecutively for three hours was not fun at all and most disappointing was the fact that neither Snape nor McGonagall drank.

"Another argument in favor of water" Saeko mentioned off-handily, "Or apple and beetroot juice."

Caitlin made a face. Helena just sighed "Why do we always default to talking about food?"

"We like food" Peter said in mock confusion.

"Looooove it" Paddy chimed in.

Graham nodded vigorously "Yup!"

Saeko lost interest in the conversation, they did indeed had it many times before. Instead she turned her attention to the Weasley twins. They reminded her of Naruto – pranksters but with their skills they would make perfect infiltrators and assassins. If that giggling potion had been a poison or a paralytic the vast majority of the students and staff would be incapacitated. Similarly all those pranks Naruto inflicted on Konoha, his ability to hide from ANBU, granted those treated him as a friendly not an enemy, but it was quite impressive. If the blond wasn't a jinchuuriki and not preferred front line fighting he would be the best stealth specialist in the village.

But those apparently do not have enough glory.

Moving on.

"Hey, what about a counter-prank?" Peter proposed suddenly, interrupting the food conversation.

Ashley's eyes gleamed "I like it!"

"Really?" Helena said dryly, less than impressed, "You want to start a pranking war?"

"I agree with Helena, it will only spur them on" Saeko nodded.

Seeing the excited faces of the rest of his friends Daniel tried to be the third voice of reason "Come on, no one want detentions and point loss, we are in the middle of the second semester, we should be starting study groups, not this mayhem."

"I think we can hide our tracks simply enough, we have done so on more than one occasion already" Caitlin countered.

"Yeah, the Weasleys pranked practically everybody so we should not come under scrutiny" added Graham.

Helena sighed and shook her head in exasperation "They will just pull another mass prank, it will be a nightmare."

Her comment fell on deaf ears as the pranking group started discussing possible ideas. The first thing that was determined was that anything they did would be against the whole Gryffindor House and not just the Weasley twins – Paddy pointed out that the Gryffs being annoyed would try to keep the first-years in line to moderate any possible retaliation.

"What about we let loose a niffler in their common room?" Peter proposed.

"No, they can be dangerous. Besides where would you get one" Caitlin rolled her eyes.

The boy shrugged "It was just an idea."

"How about…no, sorry, that was stupid" Graham started.

Helena smirked "No surprise there."

Before Graham could retaliate Daniel spoke to the surprise of everybody "Maybe we could do something to the area just in from of their Common Room. Like grow really thick bushes or a swamp."

Everybody hummed as they thought about it. Ashley patted Daniel's back "You know, that is actually a great idea!"

"I agree."

"Yup."

"Sounds good."

"Ha, we will make you a prankster out of you yet Danny boy!" Graham said jovially and put his arm around Daniel's shoulder in a mentoring manner. The bespectacled boy sighed and struggled out of the hold.

Caitlin clapped her hands together "It's decided then. Does anybody know how to actually do it?"

Everybody turned to the ninja. Saeko was quite flattered but had to disappoint "Nope."

"To the Library!" Graham said in a theatrical fashion and struck a pose. Saeko was heavily reminded of Jiraiya.

X

In true Ravenclaw fashion the group buried themselves in books. They nearly raided the whole transfiguration section of the Hogwarts Library.

An hour later they were disturbed by professor McGonagall who was wearing one of her rare smiles. The group put on some shaky smiles, not sure if the dreaded teacher had some way to know why they were in the Library. To everybody's relief the Head of Gryffindor dispelled those fears "It's always nice to see a group dedicated to their studies and such passion for transfiguration."

The group gulped but maintained their smiles.

"Fifteen points for Ravenclaw, keep up with the good work" with that the professor left to talk to Pince.

After a collective sigh of relief Ashley spoke up "That was… unnerving."

"I can't believe we got 15 points out of this" Peter said in disbelief.

"It's a sign" Graham said in a faux-reverent voice.

Everybody chuckled and returned to planning.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko was sitting near the window in the most comfy chair in the Common Room, she was quite fortunate to snatch it up, and was reading a thesis on layer genjutsu. This particular text was sent by Itachi the day before, he was pretty excited about it, as much as Itachi was able. The author was a budding genjutsu master of the Uchiha Clan – there were not many despite the sharingan's boon, ninjutsu looked more cool and the red-eyed clan liked to show off.

"Ehm, Saeko?" said an uncertain voice.

The Uchiha looked up and arched her eyebrows. Helena who stood next to Ashley seemed a bit shaken as well. "Yes?"

"There is a frog waiting for you. A taking frog. A talking frog which appeared in a poof of smoke" Ash said blandly.

Helena nodded weakly "In English too. Although the accent was pretty bad."

_Damn you Jiraiya!_ "I believe he's a toad actually. Thank you, I'll be right there."

When the kunoichi left Helena promptly took the coveted seat. Ash who sat on the ground asked "It was weird, wasn't it? At first I was sure I was delusional."

"Certainly peculiar. But then again, our magic can do many astonishing feats" the blonde conceded.

Ash acquiesced "True. Talking messengers is new though."

"Do you think the ravens and crows Saeko uses are able to talk as well?" the pureblood asked.

The younger girl seemed to ponder that for a bit "Possibly. We could ask."

"Well, she does make life interesting" Ash commented.

"Too true"

"The toad was kind of adorable"

"Ugh" Helena frowned, "On that note did you know Angela is dating someone?"

The light brunette hummed "How are toads an Angela connected? And who's the boyfriend?"

Helena completely bypassed the first question "She and her friends were gushing about him, she's gotten much more annoying the way, some Nigel I think."

"A Raven? There is a Nigel Mc something a year ahead of us" said Ashley. She was the only one of the trio who actually cared about people outside their 'little poker group' or year.

"I don't know, I was a bit nauseated, that's why I went to your room. If I knew I would see a warty disgusting amphibian I would've went somewhere else."

Ash giggled "He was cute. And quite polite."

"Hn"

"Now you sound like Saeko" the half-blood snorted in laughter.


	47. 3- 47 Adversarial

***Adversarial***

Hogsmeade!

Nobody could really believe that they were already bored with the little town after three visits. It was promised to be such a dream – a day out of school, full of liberties. The older years did warn them that the village would get old after a while but still…

"Sooo, Three Broomsticks?" Peter asked the Ravenclaw group.

"I want to go to Zonko's" Graham countered.

Helena rolled her eyes "Of course you would. We could split up and meet up at the pub, I have no interest in going to that smelly shop."

"You know, we just successfully survived April's fools and I'm out of supplies" Graham defended poorly.

Daniel frowned "I told you not to start anything with the Weasley twins."

"Yes mother" the pureblooded boy replied with a roll of eyes.

"Who cares, we are still first for the House Cup" Caitlin said with a shrug and headed for the joke shop.

Ash looked torn but in the end she joined Daniel, Saeko and Helena, and the splinter group headed for the premier pub in the village. Not that it was saying much.

Since it was still pretty early the foursome managed to snatch a table. As soon as their place was claimed Saeko stood up again ad offered to get their drinks. Daniel, forever the gentleman, shot up from his char and protested vigorously.

"Nah, I'll get them, I can actually carry them plus you were talking to Helena" Saeko countered, "So what's everyone having?"

It seemed everyone decided against being fancy and wanted a simple butterbeer. Saeko made her way towards the bar through the rapidly growing crowd and placed their order. She also had a pleasant chat with the owner of the establishment, Madame Rosmerta, about Runes and the necessity for self-study if they are to be of any use. The Uchiha prodigy had been most disappointed that the class only taught the languages and their translation and touched on their practical application only in the most basic terms.

Getting a few surprisingly useful tips for books on the subject Saeko and the drinks made their way back to the table, chuckling in amusement at the thought of the Uchiha heir and prodigy serving drinks to civilians. When she sat down and passed the pints she had to sigh because the topic of discussion – the new bill that just passed in the Wizengamot about dark creatures. The Uchiha wasn't overly interested, especially since this was quite a recurrent conversation this week.

Finally when it was appropriate Saeko jumped at the chance to change topics "Speaking of DADA, do you think Deirdre will go through with it?"

"You mean the tournament?" Ash perked up, "That would be cool."

Daniel shrugged "You make it sound so big. She meant just four matches between the best students of each House in our year. I'd prefer some huge fights between the seventh years in front of all of Hogwarts, a big production you know?"

"That was exactly what Miss McKenna said would never happen" Helena reminded him.

"I know, but it would still be great" the only boy sighed in disappointment.

Saeko nodded vigorously "I would totally be game. I'd like to test out the Slytherins and Gryffindors."

"Of course you would" the blonde girl said in mock condescension.

"Yeah, you won against all of us and the Puffs and now you want to show off to a larger audience" Ash contributed.

The kunoichi winked "I would be lying if I disputed that. It would be a nice change though, might give me some good ideas."

"Such a violent girl" Helena shook her head dramatically.

"Yup"

"That wasn't a compliment"

Saeko shrugged with a huge grin on her face "I'll take it all the same."

"Typical" the blonde smirked.

Daniel frowned as he thought of something "Do you think that Deirdre would make us duel instead of the final exam? It would be in character."

"I wish" the jounin said longingly.

"What for?" Graham asked as his splinter group joined the foursome at the table.

The newcomers were immediately welcomed to the conversation, immediately comparing notes on Hufflepuffs and their fellow Ravens, even each other, and speculating on the 'best players' of the remaining Houses. Helena whipped up her little betting book and began calculating the odds of victory in the overall tournament even if the event itself would most likely never take place.

It was actually a brilliant day even if the group spent the majority of it in a pub. Or maybe because of it. Finally it was decided to return to the school but Hogsmeade had more in store for them – as soon as the group exited they found themselves in the first row for quite a show.

A small crowd already formed around a Hogwarts couple having a very public and very violent break-up. At least from the girl's part, it was obvious she was caught completely unaware.

Saeko looked expectantly at Ashley and Daniel if by any chance they knew either student but both shook their heads in negative. Pity. Though it didn't lessen their enjoyment of the free spectacle.

The boy, a sixth-year from the look of things, took one uneasy look at his surrounding and tried to calm his now ex-girlfriend.

"If I want to make a scene I'll fucking make a scene!" the pretty brunette shouted.

The boy cowered "Please calm down darling, I…"

"Darling, darling?!" the girl's voice began having a shrill quality to it.

Graham whispered his commentary "Oh, boy."

"Indeed" Helena concurred but eagerly watched on as the girlfriend dressed down the sixth-year in a quite spectacular fashion.

When the boy received a resounding slap Ash grinned "Go girl!"

The boy began looking downright afraid, it was obvious he was thankful for the witnesses and the fact there were no things around his ex-girlfriend could throw at him.

After another bout of screaming, followed by crying the brunette shouted "Go and be happy with that skank!" and walked away, head held high, ignoring the audience.

Graham pouted, disappointed the show ended so soon and without injuries. The group started walking towards the Castle laughing and joking about the boy's unfortunate fate.

"I guess I got off easy" Saeko remarked.

Paddy grinned widely "Oh man, Saeko getting yelled at publically by Faith would be a sight I would pay for."

"I'll remember that when you get girl trouble" the Uchiha smiled threateningly.

The boy gulped and nodded.

_Still got it._

* * *

><p><strong>Potion<strong>**'****s Classroom**

"_I have to ask Dumbledore if he would consider sending Snape for a secondment to the T&I in Konoha"_ Saeko thought as she watched the hysterically sobbing Hufflepuff flee the dungeon classroom.

The potions professor eyed the rest of the class and gave them a first-class sneer "The rest of you dunderheads continue!"

Helena immediately busied herself with the ingredients while Saeko continued stirring, Uchiha mask firmly in place. She was glad she was never in his crosshairs, sometimes she thought he avoided her on purpose – quite smart on Snape's part, he dodged quite a bullet there. Saeko was very patient and rational, as any good kunoichi should be, but she was not above petty revenge especially when she was sure she could get away with it and that it would not affect Konoha. Fortunately for the teacher no bizarre accidents were necessary.

Speaking of accidents… "Aaaaaah!"

Everybody looked to the source of the scream, the Hufflepuff in the back on the classroom who somehow managed to catch fire.

"Unbelievable!" Snape gritted his teeth and waved his wand to extinguish the flames, "Just how stupid can you be!" The rest of his speech was conducted in angry murmurs. Finally pointing at a random Puff he sniped "You! Take the idiot to the Infirmary."

The students stayed silent, not wanting to incur the potions master's wrath. The man in question started pacing and muttered all the time. Finally he snapped "All of you, get out! I had enough, class is over!"

Everybody looked at Snape in surprise but quickly scrambled to get their stuff, packed up their ingredients and got the hell out of dodge, leaving their incomplete potions behind.

"Soo we got a free period, great! We gotta thank Katniss if he ever dares to enter the potions dungeon again" Peter said once they were far far away from Snape.

"Who now?" Graham asked.

Peter blushed and said nothing. Ashley chuckled and answered in his stead "Hunger Games, the girl on fire? No?"

Everybody except Daniel shook their head. Peter shot his bespectacled friend a pleading look. Daniel grinned and spoke up "Oh, it's from a book series, a very manly book series."

"What's it about?" Saeko asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Before Ash or Daniel could reply Peter jumped in "Oh you know, adventure, death and deprived caste systems."

Ash seemed impressed at his save "True. I don't even know why I like it though, since there is absolutely no romance, love triangles and angst, no sir."

"Moving on!" Peter exclaimed, "Did you know my and Ash's parents got an offer for another dig in South America."

"Yeah" the small brunette nodded, "They are considering it but I think teaching University classes is what they would prefer for the moment. I think they rather like the calm for a change."

Peter hummed "But the opportunity is too good to pass up, you'd rather they stayed in a musty building?"

"They actually have time for us now" Ashley said bitterly.

The boy sighed "That's not fair and you know it."

Trying not to interfere with the obviously very personal debate the rest of the little group slowed their pace to give an illusion of privacy.

"Whatever" the girl said dismissively.

"Ash" Peter said in reproach but at the look he got he wisely dropped the subject.

Helena gripped the ninja's elbow and gave her a meaningful look. Saeko sighed and nodded, it seems she was destined to play the Yamanaka with her roomie. As if her own experience with parents was grounds for counseling. Sometimes posing as the oldest and wisest had its drawbacks. _Speaking of Yamanaka I got to catch up with Yuuko soon._

"Saeko?" Daniel asked and waved his hand before the kunoichi's face.

"Mm?"

Peter chuckled "You kinda zoned out."

Saeko shrugged but Helena all too eagerly shared her opinion in her stead "She's got that Faith look. Or girl-loving look more precisely."

"Oh yeah" Ash nodded in realization, "On the prowl again?"

The Uchiha rolled her eyes "You make it sound so dirty."

"I'm trying so hard not to make a joke right now" the blonde smirked.

"Because all of you are perverts" Saeko informed.

Daniel sniggered "Worse, we are teenagers!"

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

"You can't be bored Saeko" Jamie nudged her colleague.

The Uchiha shrugged and put her legs onto the railing before her "Sure I can, I'm not playing. That and we already crushed both the Snakes and the Badgers."

"It's still fun" the blonde countered.

Wayne joined in with a smirk "Jamie is right. And it seems your ex agrees."

Saeko looked over at the Hufflepuff stands and saw Faith and her crew making a big production as always. She smirked, obviously pleased. To change the subject she asked "Speaking about fun, how is apparition going? I know you are about to take the test."

The sixth years sat back glumly. Jamie frowned "I managed once, just at the last lesson. I'm not confident at all. It doesn't help that Frostie here is a pro."

"I splinched like five times already" the seeker sighed.

Rory shivered theatrically "I heard about that, it doesn't sound pleasant at all."

"That because it isn't" Frost said dryly.

"I still can't wait to do it myself" James said, for once even looking happy.

Jared chimed in "It sounds really useful but I still think I prefer brooms."

"I definitely do" Jamie concurred firmly.

Frost nodded vigorously "Absolutely. At least with a broom there is not a fifty percent chance of leaving body parts behind." The Team was torn between being disgusted and amused.

"What is harder, apparition or non-verbal spells?" Jared asked eagerly.

Jamie answered "Apparition" just as Frost said "Depends."

"Depends on what?" Saeko probed.

"On the spell"

"Oh, that makes sense" the ninja said airily and lost interest.

Not long after that the commentator started his usual pre-game routine and the match began shortly after. It turns out the match was interesting after all if you liked skirmishes and a surprising amount of blood despite it being a friendly school game. The Snakes went all out and were literally beating the Puffs into submission.

The match lasted much longer than any Saeko saw or participated in before and despite the already mentioned amount of gore the Uchiha _was_ bored. She wasn't the only one in that – she caught Helena' eye who rolled her eyes and jerked her chin towards her roomie. Saeko mimicked her friend and rolled her eyes as well – Michelle and her new boy-toy, quoting Helena, a nerdy looking boy looking even younger than her despite being a year older, were making out in the upper corner of the stands.

_Ugh_. Promptly she returned her attention to the flying players on the field.

One of the more interesting moments was when Flint grabbed a handful of Angelina Johnson's hair and nearly pulled her off her broom.

"Ouch" the boys winced. Then after a beat the whole team turned at Saeko and eyed her long braid critically.

The Uchiha huffed "I'm good enough to keep it this long. Plus I can use it as an unexpected weapon." _And if I had been able to master the Hari Jizō it could be a shield too. Damn, how I hate that jutsu!_

"Long hair is impractical" Rory mentioned, "for sports I mean."

"But pretty" Jamie countered and brushed her own ponytail consciously.

Saeko grinned and with exaggerated sensuality brushed the blonde hair of her captain to the side "Pretty indeed."

The boys laughed as Jamie blushed. Saeko smiled as well and kissed Jamie on the cheek. With a reassuring squeeze, to show it was just a joke and not teasing in any way, Saeko flicked her hair and returned to the match which seemed to finally reach its ending.

After a neck-breaking race between seekers the Snakes managed to win. The Ravens clapped politely, not really interested since the result hadn't much impact on their House. But hey, the show was pretty good.

"Soo, back to my research" Saeko said in a chipper manner.

"Research?" Jared asked.

"That would be telling" the brunette smirked.


	48. 3- 48 Small Victories

**AN: Double feature today! 47+48**

* * *

><p><strong>*Small Victories*<strong>

Sometimes Saeko wondered what she is doing here.

"Ashton has such dreamy hair!" Michelle exclaimed.

Joanne nodded but countered "But Elias was a much better poster, what did you with it by the way?"

Angela grinned "I got it, I'm going to put it right beside _The Malicious Magiks_."

"I still can't believe you listen to that sort of music"

"Hey, even Witch Weekly had them on the hottest celebrities list, their wailing is secondary"

"It's not wailing, it's music! Awesome music!"

As the girls argued about music, make-up of all things, some male idols Saeko had never heard of before and copious gossip, the Uchiha just sat there in her chair trying not to let her jaw drop at the silliness of the conversation.

"You ready partner?" Jared asked and nudged the kunoichi with his beater bat.

Saeko nodded dumbly. As the beater duo made their way out of the Common Room the brunette regained her voice "I think my IQ dropped at least by fifteen points."

"Huh?" Jared asked.

"Nothing" Saeko shook her head, "How's it going?"

Jared shrugged "Not bad, dreading our work-out as always though."

The Uchiha smiled widely "Oh, you know how to flatter me."

X

Jared collapsed on the grass near the lake. Saeko unsealed a bottle of water and threw it gently onto her partner's stomach. "Ouch" he wheezed out but greedily gulped down the cool liquid. When he calmed down the boy looked at Saeko "You're not even winded, it's so not fair! It's like you have some super-power."

"Nah, you're just out of shape" the ninja taunted. At the boy's whine she continued "but hey, keep to my regime and every girl will be salivating at one look of you shirtless. Well, those who will care enough to take their eyes off me."

The Brit mock-glared. Saeko laughed "Come on, show me those abs and let's go for a swim."

"A swim? The water's cold!" Jared exclaimed, eyes wide.

Saeko took off her sweaty shirt and was left only in her sports bra "Don't be a wuss, it's may already, it's good."

"The weather has been awful and even now it looks like it's two minutes from raining" the boy backpedaled.

The only answer he got was a splash of water. "Saeko?"

"The water's warm, the giant squid is nowhere to be seen and to be honest you stink" Saeko yelled and began swimming in the earnest.

Jared hesitated but then he took his shirt off as well, along with his shoes and socks. As he tested the water he muttered "Why couldn't it be another girl, this sounds almost romantic."

"Hey, I'd prefer another girl too, we would be skinny dipping if that was the case. You aren't doing it for me either" Saeko chuckled.

The Brit shook his head and finally dived in. Seeing his partner was right and the water wasn't as freezing as he thought it was he issued a challenge "You might have me beat at running but I was a swimming champ. First on the other side gets bragging rights and refers to the other as High Master Commander of the Seven Seas for every practice until the match."

Saeko contemplated the bet for a little while – she didn't want to cheat and she wasn't all that good in swimming. Who would be if all you needed was a bit of chakra to run on water or give you a boost in it. Finally she shrugged "Alright, I accept."

X

"_Bad choice, very bad choice_" Saeko thought when she finally emerged on the other side of the surprisingly big lake.

"So?" Jared asked smugly as he rose from his seat on the shore.

The brunette sighed "I bow to you High Master Commander of the Seven Seas."

"Not so perfect now, hey?"Jared preened, practically dancing in joy

Saeko shrugged – she lived in the Village Hidden in the Trees, nowhere it was mentioned anything about water sports. "So swimming champ, huh?" the scarred teen prompted.

Jared nodded and sighed a tad wistfully "Yeah. My dad was in his University's swimming team, quite a star actually. My brother follows in his footsteps, he wants to go pro."

"Your brother?" Saeko asked a bit confused, Jared never spoke of a sibling before.

"Yeah, he's not magical. We don't have that much in common now" the boy confessed sadly, "but that's why I continue swimming, at least one thing, you know."

The girl nodded "I understand. But you might have vastly different education, careers or hobbies but you still should have plenty to talk about."

"Hm, true, but I he's jealous of me, of my magic. It really soured our relationship" Jared said bitterly, "I can't say a thing, even non-related to magic… hm, it doesn't matter."

Saeko thought of Neji's relationship with his family and nodded slowly "I think it will get better in time. He'll find happiness in his muggle life and he won't hold your abilities against you."

"You really think so?" the boy asked with barely concealed hope.

"Yeah, I do" _Neji and Hinata are good now and even Hiashi and the elders got better_.

Jared gave the Uchiha a small smile "I really hope so, I miss him. Just one stupid letter and my big brother, my idol, starts to resent me."

Saeko patted her partner's shoulder encouragingly "Come on, let's collect our stuff."

"Yeah"

* * *

><p><strong>Dorms<strong>

"Diffindo Duo" Ashley murmured over and over, trying to get the charm not only right but absolutely perfect.

Saeko was patiently enduring the practice, the sound of tearing fabric included, while she was meticulously transcribing her own notes on spells into her two scrolls for the new Uchiha library. That is for when she and Itachi decide to spread the skill. It was also a good practice for the exams that were to come in a month or so.

Finally content with her charm Ashley put down her wand and picked up Spell Book Grade 3 again. She turned a few pages with narrowed eyes, maybe trying to guess the most likely suspects for the practicals.

The quiet, studious afternoon was interrupted by Helena who rushed into the room without knocking. What was even weirder was that she said nothing and just sat on Saeko's empty bed.

"Helena, are you alright?" Ashley asked tentatively and put her textbook down.

The blonde sighed and slowly shook her head. Both her friends waited patiently, sharing worried glances between them. Finally Helena produced a wrinkled letter and stared it as she wished it to burn "I got mail from father. He says he received a proposal for a marriage contract for me. He's not going to take it, thank Merlin, but it's still a precarious position - the boy is the son of a big client of ours. Father wrote he would take care of it but he wanted me to be informed and if needed to play along."

"Play along with what" Saeko asked calmly while Ash gritted her teeth.

"Whatever the plan will be to get them off my back" the blonde said on the verge of panic, "He's already juggling with our French side of the family."

Saeko frowned "That cousin of yours at Baeuxbatons?"

Helena nodded "Father had already refused them, quite firmly."

"What do you mean?" Ashley spoke up.

"Cousin dearest wants to marry me too" the blonde said in disgust, "Well, his family mainly."

Saeko hummed "They want the business to go to them, a nice family reunion."

"Got it in one" the tea heiress clicked her tongue, "Also it doesn't help they are quite invested in blood purity and don't mind, as you said, reuniting the family."

Ashley upturned her lip "That's sick."

"Aptly put. Plus my cousin is a douche" Helena nodded gravely.

The Uchiha couldn't help but chuckle at the quip but continued in a dead serious voice "Don't worry, you said your father is on your side. Everything's going to be alright. And if by some reason it will not, your darling cousin can always have an unfortunate accident."

Helena actually stared hard at her friend but then finally a small smile graced her face "Thanks, I might take you up on that."

Saeko grinned, happy she could cheer her friend up. Besides she liked Helena, she could persuade the Hokage to accept her contract for the mission. Just a minor scare, nothing drastic. At first.

"Father will take care of it" the blonde said with conviction, "But still…"

"It is an unfortunate situation" Saeko nodded in understanding, "I'm just glad Itachi-nii is helping me on that front. If he wasn't Clan Head I might already be engaged to a distant cousin as well."

Ashley cringed "And I'm just glad to be a simple half-blood with academic background."

"I heard those folks can be cutthroat too, who gets the founding, the best digs, tenure…" the blonde latched to another topic.

The light brunette rolled her eyes "Psh, mom told me some of the professors fought for months just to get a better office. It actually came to a fist fight at the end."

Helena arched her eyebrows.

Ashley nodded solemnly "It had a view to the volleyball course."

"Volleyball?" the purebloods asked in unison.

"A ball game" Ash explained, "But I think for you to understand you need the fact that it is usually played in tiny shorts and tank tops and it involves a lot of… bouncing."

Helena shook her head in exasperation "Ah"

"A valid reason to fight then" Saeko said seriously.

"You lecher"

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

Time passed quickly and every Ravenclaw worth its salt was already gearing up for the exams. Study groups and highly irritated students were a permanent fixture in their Common Room but before all hell breaks loose there was one last event, one last day off before the full immersion into books and that is the last match of the season at the beginning of May.

"So this is it ladies and gentlemen," Jamie said in an almost jovial voice, "the game that decides the winner of the Cup, both of them I would wager."

"Isn't it already decided?" Saeko said cheekily.

The Team chuckled. Jamie grinned "Good, let's just make it a reality now and shoot those greenhorns right out of the water, I want my 2 for 2 for victories under my command."

"All that we do for you" Frost snickered.

The blonde smiled angelically "Good boy. Now, let's do this."

Rory nodded "Aye aye but let's make it quick, right Frostie? I don't like the look of the sky."

"They'll be sobbing before the first drop of rain hits the grass" Saeko announced in her usual pre-game scary/sadistic manner. Hey, she was friends with Anko, it had to show somewhere.

"Riiight" Wayne said and presented his palm for a high five.

Jamie caught t arm "Not yet, we have a job to do."

"_And now for the Ravenclaws!"_

X

"_The Eagles catch the snitch! And this is it, the flying nerds did it again and I just lost 10 sickles! Ravenclaw WINS! And with an astounding 310 to 70!"_

The students, and Flitwick, went absolutely insane when Frost caught the snitch with a flourish. The opposing seeker had no chance at all, having been harassed by Jared and Saeko almost to the point of tears. Wood too was a little worse for wear but he seemed resigned as he congratulated Jamie when the Ravenclaw team finally landed and extricated themselves from the group hug.

There was no big spectacle like last year, professor McGonagall was quite adamant about it, but the fans were excited all the same. The ceremony declaring the champions was lovely, although not as epic as it had been the year previous, and finally the Quidditch Cup was passed among the team and then finally to professor Flitwick.

Among the customary caws the sea of fans practically carried them all the way to the Ravenclaw Tower.

"Voilá" the seventh year prefect announced as he stepped into the Raven's Nest. The prefects were the ones that prepared the victory party, with the help of the house elves no doubt, and they truly went all out. A week before the match the prefects made rounds and collected what change the students were willing to part with to buy and smuggle alcohol. The result of the generous donations was a wide variety of drinks, both muggle and from the wizarding world.

"I know tomorrow is Sunday but try to be reasonable, Flitwick turns a blind eye because we don't cause trouble. That goes double for the lower years plus you know the drill and your curfew" the seventh-year continued.

His female counterpart smiled and nodded for the radios to start "Let's get this party started!"

Saeko stuck by her teammates, reliving the match play by play while drinking the cheap champaign, laughing in glee at their victory.

It wasn't long and the group was already slightly inebriated, Saeko included despite her determination to have all her wits about her as any good ninja should, the bubbles of the unfamiliar drink going straight to her head.

"Helena, darling!" Saeko grinned as she joined her friends and stealing the blonde's glass.

Daniel shook his head in amused exasperation "I see you are enjoying the last big shindig before everybody holes up for the upcoming exams."

"Oh, indeed!" the ninja laughed boisterously, "By the way where did you get this wine? It's very good."

"Enjoying it a little too much I would say" Helena murmured.

Saeko held her hand in the half-ram dispel hand-sign "You two are no fun! Party pooping KAI!" That said the ninja fled, leaving two flabbergasted friends behind.

Being in an astoundingly happy mood she actually mingled with people she didn't care to know at all before. She found people more agreeable when she had a drink or two in her. She had even been persuaded to dance by a lovely fifth-year.

"Come up with me" breathed the dark blonde Saeko was currently dancing with.

The Uchiha brought the dancing body in front of her closer and murmured "So forward."

"That's not a no" the older girl said coyly.

Saeko chuckled and moved her hands even lower "Let's go."

The duo moved seamlessly towards the staircase to the girl's dormitories. There was a little hold-up at the second floor where they wound up against the wall, kissing vigorously.

"Get a room" said a passing girl.

"In process" Saeko shot back without even looking.

Finally the pair arrived before one of the doors at the fifth floor and Saeko was dragged inside.

"Roomie?

"With her boyfriend"

"Good" the brunette replied and shoved the older girl on the closest bed.

X

**Later That Morning**

Saeko yawned as she entered her room and plopped onto her bed.

"I can't imagine why you'd be tired," Ashley teased, "Rough night?"

"Rough. Gentle. And everything in between" Saeko gave a saucy wink.


	49. 3- 49 June Madness

**AN: As I said before, the OC guide has been relocated as a separate story on my profile**

* * *

><p><strong>*June Madness*<strong>

A few days after the Ravenclaw won the quidditch cup for the second time Jamie called one last meeting with the Team of the year. The players convened in the blond captain's room on the sixth floor of the Tower, all of them anticipating the conversation they all knew had to happen.

"So," Jamie started when all of this year's Eagles sat down, "as you may suspect, the topic of today's discussion is the future of the team."

Nobody spoke, each of them looking at the sixth-year chaser with varying degrees of hope. Jamie sighed "This was my last season, I'll be just too busy to continue next year. My NEWTs and my preparation for joining the law firm will most likely take up all my time and I wouldn't give this team justice if I did only a half-assed job."

The team nodded sadly, it wasn't unexpected but it still was a hit – Jamie was an excellent friend and captain, not to mention a brilliant chaser. They all muttered their understanding. The soon to be ex-captain chuckled "It's not like I'm dying or anything, I'll still be around, cheering you up from the stands."

"Good, we better hear you" Jared said with a forced smile.

Jamie grinned "I'll be the one with the biggest banner."

After a few beats of silence everybody turned to Frost. He too was a sixth year so the question was the same. The seeker finally cleared his throat "I thought about it but I'm inclined to stay with the team."

"That's great news!" the two male chasers exclaimed in unison.

"So trials for only one spot then" James thought out loud.

Jamie seamlessly transitioned to the next thing she wastes to talk about "That depends on the new captain."

"You know something" Rory said as he stole a glance at the uncharacteristically eager-looking McPherson.

The sixth-year nodded "I talked with Flitwick about it and recommended Saeko for the job."

"What!" James exclaimed, "I was here the longest and have the most experience. Saeko's good, I never thought I would say it but she is good, but..."

Jamie interrupted "She already runs part of the practice and she will be staying next year. The rest of you will be 6th years next season and being captain for only one campaign is not advantageous especially if I know Saeko can handle it."

"But" the keeper protested once more.

"Enough, that's it from my part, now it's up to Flitwick" Jamie said with finality.

Rory grinned and tried to lighten up the conversation "Sooo Captain Uchiha, huh? I bet the ladies will love it."

"Like I need a title for the ladies to come flocking" Saeko played along.

"We noticed" Wayne said slyly.

"Oh yeah, what was the name of that lovely lady from two days ago?" Rory asked in the same tone.

The Uchiha opened her mouth to answer but then she clapped it shut. "_Shit, I totally know this! I mean she told me right?"_

"Saeko?" Jared asked his partner.

"Hmm, give me a sec"

Few beats of silence later Jamie's eyes narrowed "Don't tell me you forgot."

"Wow Saeko, shame on you" Rory said, finding it especially funny.

The beater rubbed back of her neck sheepishly while still trying to remember. She briefly wondered if not remembering would be worse than actually never asking in the first place.

Jamie shot them both a disappointed look. Saeko and Rory immediately lowered their gaze, trying to avoid a scolding – their captain was a master, a skill that will come most useful in her future line of work.

"Hm" the blonde fortunately decided to let it drop.

The group lingered a while more, mainly discussing the expected changes in the other House teams. When the boys trailed out of the room Saeko stayed behind.

"Thanks about the recommendation"

Jamie smiled "To be honest you were the only viable choice – Wayne and Rory would dislike the role, Frost might not return to the team, Jared is too green."

"And James?" the kunoichi asked the obvious question.

"He could do it but you are the better option, he's too arrogant. Plus like I said he will quit after next season, he told me so when we talked about it. You have good ideas and strategies and the guys listen to you despite you being younger."

Saeko allowed herself a small blush "Thanks."

The sixth year smiled but shrugged nonchalantly. Saeko smiled back and made her way to the door. With one look back she smirked, said "I look forward to the prefect's bathroom" and left.

* * *

><p><strong>Infirmary<strong>

"I _thought_ I saw you come in here!"

The startled Lauren turned "Uchiha!"

"Sorry" Saeko apologized for her stealth, "You seem alright though, this is a business visit? Even during exams?"

Before the red-head could answer Madame Pomfrey peeked up from her desk and scanned them over with her razor sharp stare. When the girls bid her hello, the nurse nodded and since there were no injuries she returned to her papers.

Lauren walked towards the end of the room and sat down at a small table that sat there. "This is my spot, I like studying here. I like the calm and sometimes Madame Pomfrey even helps me with some spellwork."

"Smart" Saeko said impressed and leaned against the wall.

The Slytherin grinned "I try. By the way I'm quite surprised to see you here, the Ravens practically invaded the library and laid siege to it."

"This is exactly why I'm anywhere else" the jounin explained with a shrug.

Lauren chuckled as she withdrew her books from her bag "You know, you really are quite different a Raven, most of them are running about like headless chicken, having a breakdown about the exams or are brooding away in front of thick books."

"Wouldn't headless chicken be a more appropriate metaphor for the Gryffs? I have been told that many leave studying for the last possible moment and then they panic when they realize they put it off too much. I would say it's a cliché but I did only see one lone Gryff in the top ten in my three years at Hogwarts" Saeko mused.

"Maybe next year they will surprise you, but yeah, if the shoe fits" the red-head hummed.

"What about you, are you ready?"

Lauren scoffed "Of course. You?"

"Please!" Saeko smirked, "I'll be number one again. Aaron might get an ulcer out of it though."

"Broody boy?" the Brit said without interest.

Saeko nodded "The forever number two. I actually don't know him at all, he only speaks to me when we have a bigger study group. Not that I'm the paragon of socializing but he takes his lone wolf routine to the extreme."

The Snake shrugged "I'm friendly enough with just five people, you got me beat there."

"Aw, with your charming personality?" Saeko joked.

"What can I say, good taste is a rare to find" the red-head played along.

The ninja laughed "Too true. But hey, the two of us are at least branching out to other Houses – a rarity as well."

Lauren smiled "I guess you a not too bad." Saeko pouted and gave her friend the best set of sad eyes. The red-head just shook her head "Also, besides you, and sometimes your friends during shared class, I don't really socialize with other Houses."

"Huh, me too" Saeko realized, "I'm reluctant to count Faith. But then again your Housemates are usually following darling Aurora and she doesn't like me, the Puffs tend to stick together and the Gryffs I met were annoying. Didn't help they call me and the rest of the Ravens nerds, as if I would take their jealousy of my intelligence as an insult."

The red-head smirked "Sounds about right. Ah, the wonders of pre-set House behavior."

"Wait, prejudices aside, I know a decent Gryff. The one Jamie, my quidditch captain, dated for a little while, he was cool" the Uchiha mused out loud, "Too much effort to get to know people though."

Lauren chuckled. The girls sat in comfortable silence, neither really wanting to get back to their studying but finally the Brit sighed and eyed the huge tome that was the transfiguration book "I guess I should get back to it."

"How diligent" Saeko joked and stood to leave. The Slytherin opened the book with another heavy sigh and nodded. The girls exchanged goodbyes and Saeko left the infirmary with another goodbye to Madame Pomfrey.

Making her way up towards the Ravenclaw Tower Saeko was contemplating whether to take a break and go visit her summons, maybe get some training done, or settle down with a cup of tea and the Herbology textbook. "_Damn, I should__'ve asked Lauren to study weedology with me, she makes it almost interesting" _Saeko thought, not looking forward to the most boring subject the school had as core subject. _"Uhg, give me a fight with an Iwa nin everyday over kami-forsaken plants."_

Resigning herself she approached the guardian and answered his riddle. The Common Room was oppressively silent – part because most students were missing and could be found in the library and the rest was concentrating, practicing spells or reading.

Depressing.

Saeko knocked at her own door – she had promised to do that since Ashley always jumped three feet into the air at any sudden movement when she was studying. Finding her roommate gone she took the Herbology book and laid down on her bed.

_The _'_Bouncing Bulb_'_. Ugh, kill me now!_

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko returned to the Common Room grinning, sparring and exercise always helped clear mind and to reaffirming what was really important for her future. It would be easy to get pulled into the whirlwind of the Ravenclaw 'my world is ending, I couldn't recall the prefect definition of this charm or other!' thing many of her Housemates had going on.

If one knew enough it was possible to guess which year the student was in just based on their behavior. First years were scared shitless of not meeting the expectations of their House. Second years were the calmest of the bunch – they already knew they were good enough and the curriculum was not that heavy. Third year, that was when the fun starts – the new electives added two more piles of things to study and many were nervous by the increased volume. Fourth years were trying to play it cool. The utter madness erupted among the fifth years – the first real hurdle, the OWLs and the first crash with reality. Sixth years could be found muttering in corners, either going slowly insane or practicing the non-verbal spells, now realizing casting wasn't as easy as it was before. And for the seventh years? Nervous wrecks, snapping at anybody within sight, chucking down calming draughts to the line of overdose.

Then again, nobody here partook in a Chuunin Exam. That would be interesting to watch, many Ravens broke down at the slightest hint of audience. And danger, but they sure like theory.

"Knock, knock" the Uchiha said cheerfully and she entered her room. She was met by the eyes of her whole poker group. Saeko arched her eyebrows "Hello everybody?"

Ashley smiled "Hey, we are studying History."

"With a guitar?" the jounin asked and poured herself a glass of water.

Caitlin nodded "Graham had this awesome idea and it works!"

"She means he got Ash make ballads out of the History chapters. You know, just the synopsis" Paddy clarified.

Helena shrugged "It is actually quite helpful."

"And fun"

"And easy to remember!"

The kunoichi was intrigued "Alright, I'm going to take a quick shower and I'm back. Save me a spot!"

"Sure thing" Ashley said with a hint of pride in her voice.

Twenty minutes later Saeko was back, freshly smelling and eager to learn some history. "So what's the topic?" she asked.

Ashley strummed her guitar "Welcome to the Musical Narrative of Chapter 32: The Centaur Territory Wars!"

The group cheered in anticipation.

Saeko had not laughed so much in years, maybe never. Bad rhymes like hairy leg and take down a peg, fiery mane and centaur's bane were aplenty. Daniel was wiping off his tears of laughter and jutting some of those pearls down.

"If only Binns were like this, History would be my favorite subject!" Caitlin laughed.

Graham nodded "Totally! Do you think he'd be amused if I used some of those lines in his test?"

"I think he wouldn't even notice" Helena giggled.

Saeko turned to her roommate "Give us another one! The Dark Lord Guido for example, I've got a feeling that it will be asked."

"Really? And here my money was on goblin rebellions" Peter smirked. Everybody laughed – goblin rebellions were a given.

Ashley shook her head sadly "It's really late and my voice is getting hoarse."

Daniel frowned and cast tempus "Merlin's knickers! It's nearly midnight!"

"Already?" Caitlin asked in surprise and cast the charm as well.

Everybody except Saeko and Ash scrambled up and with great thanks bid them goodnight. When there was just the two of them the ninja turned to her friend "It was great, I'll never look at the History book the same way again."

Ashley smiled widely, quite flattered "Thanks, it was fun."

"Yeah," Saeko agreed, "with the exams starting in three days…"

"Don't remind me" the Brit said as she laid her instrument to rest.

"It's going to be fine, if everything fails you can dazzle everybody with your rhyme-making skills" the Uchiha grinned.

Ashley grinned "Give an O to the awesome brunette, no challenge she left unmet, she deserves good marks, her wand makes more than sparks."

Saeko let out a delighted laugh "That should do it."


	50. 3- 50 After the Crescendo

***After the Crescendo***

**Hogwarts Grounds**

Since there was a break in the long string of days of exceptionally bad weather the third-year Ravens decided to take their books outside. Just one more, just one more exam and they all would be free.

"DADA should be a breeze, especially after transfiguration" Caitlin said hopefully as she basked in the sunlight.

The group hummed in agreement. All of them were pretty good at the subject, Deirdre really knew her stuff and drilled them incessantly.

"Pity those rumors didn't prove to be true, I'd love the exam to be a duel" Saeko sighed.

Ash shrugged "Too complicated."

"But it would be a hell more exciting that way" Peter sided with the ninja.

Daniel chipped in "I think all excitement was spent when Kettleburn got blown up by a fourth year student, not himself for a change."

"That was fun" Ash agreed.

Graham smirked "I don't know, Divination was pretty fun too."

"Divination was a sham" Caitlin said angrily, "Grandma would be rolling in her grave if she knew."

"Maybe, but I'm pretty sure I got at least an E – I predicted I would have an accident during summer and I teared up like a professional actor. Trelawney was impressed" Graham said with a smirk.

"Of course she was" the Irish girl muttered, "Worst teacher ever."

Ashley arched her eyebrow "Oh, not Snape? Because he creeped me out big time when he started breathing near my ear as he was checking my potion. The sneer he gave me as he left was very reassuring also."

The whole group shivered in remembrance of that particular exam. The potions master did seem particularly angry and threatening, one could only hope it wouldn't reflect on their grades. Well, more than usual.

"Who do you think we'll get next year?" Helena asked.

Saeko pouted "I really hoped Deirdre would last. She taught us good combat spells and she was gorgeous to look at."

Graham nodded "Amen sister."

Daniel rolled his eyes and turned to face the blonde "Are you opening a pool about the new DADA teacher like last year?"

"I'm willing to bet vampire" Caitlin spoke with a grin.

"Dumbledore would never allow it" Peter countered.

"I don't know, werewolves, vampires and other humanoid monsters are a long shot but not impossible" Helena mused out-loud while looking into her black gambling notebook.

"How about a mermaid" Paddy guessed.

Ashley rolled her eyes "Sure, she will teach us while she's stuck in a glass aquarium."

"A veela then."

This time it was Saeko who disagreed "I'd rather learnt something than stare at my teacher all day." At the deadpan look she got she shrugged "Hey, Deirdre taught well and had no aura to distract us. She is just hot."

"Don't start to drool you two, are we doing this or not?" Helena said and waved her notebook.

The group placed their bets – gender, age and special features. The last category was for the vampire idea, and giant idea, veela and even one golem. Helena cackled slightly as she wrote it all down.

"Hey, didn't we come out here to study?" Daniel said as if the thought had just only occurred to him.

Graham sighed "Yeah but I seem to be in vacation mode already."

"Besides, we already studied, a few hours now won't make us any better. I just can't be bothered right now" Paddy nodded.

Helena dutifully opened her textbook but closed it almost as fast "You're right, we are ready. Well, some more than others."

Graham caught the look shot his way "Hey I might be lazy but I like DADA. Never mind that, we're almost free now. We just need to fling a few more spells and we got the week off and then…" he said dreamily.

"_Back into uniform"_ Saeko thought with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

As soon as professor Flitwick left, the Ravens held the usual ceremony for the number ones, the Head Boy announced a party. Everybody cheered, hoping that the current prefects and head Boy's attitude will stay for next year as well. Once they had the necessary permission the Ravenclaws liked to party – you know, study hard and party even harder.

The event was far more modest than those organized after a quidditch victory, or loss for that matter, but everybody, especially the seventh-years wanted to make the most of it.

"Hey Geoffrey" Saeko greeted the friendly prefect as he was making rounds, "So, this is it, huh?"

"Yeah" eighteen year old said wistfully, "I'm going to really miss this place."

The kunoichi nodded "Any news on that Ministry job?"

"I might have an in but I need to wait until I get my NEWTs results" Geoffrey said uncertainly. Then he grinned "I think I did well at them though."

The duo talked a while more about the Ministry and how 'knowing people' was the key to succeed. Geoffrey was really angry but resigned at the fact but also grateful his uncle had some connections he was willing to use.

Ashley and Helena also came to congratulate Geoffrey, wishing him his best for the outside. The prefect smiled and wished them all a good holiday before moving to another group. The three girls went for a refill and joined with their friends discussing summer plans for the umpteenth time.

Spotting Jamie in the corner of her eye Saeko excused herself and approached the soon to be ex-captain. Bumping her hip she smiled "Hey, you look uncomfortable. The party isn't that bad, you know?"

Jamie fidgeted a bit "Since quidditch season ended I had been asked out thrice already. And again twenty minutes ago."

"So" the Uchiha shrugged, "It's nice to be wanted, no? That is if they were respectful, otherwise just point at them and I'll have a polite _talk_ with them."

"It's about, you know" Jamie said nervously and tried to inconspicuously look around.

Saeko was decent enough not to roll her eyes at her friend's lack of subtlety, Jamie's confusion on where she fell on the Kinsey scale was a serious matter "Yeah, I know, but I still don't get why the greek tragedy face."

Jamie did roll her eyes "Exaggerating much?"

"Come on, spill" the ninja prompted.

"All four of them were pretty handsome but I just wasn't attracted or tempted, not at all. It just hit me. And then I realized how am I ever getting somebody if I don't approach some girl like I was approached. How do I do that? How do I know who? What if I ask the wrong person and she gets offended or starts telling everybody" Jamie rambled.

Saeko sighed "Sometimes you just have to take the risk."

"Gee, thanks so much for the advice" said the platinum blonde, "You know, being… this way is not unusual in wizarding society, far from it actually, but you just don't talk about it. It happens behind closed doors. If I want to work as an attorney in a prestigious firm I'll be working with these type of traditionalists, it could really hurt me. Just being a woman is enough for most of them to ask for another to handle their cases, I don't need to be… indiscreet."

"That's shitty" the Uchiha summed it up.

"Pretty much, yeah"

The kunoichi smirked and subtly nodded to the crowd near the window "If it helps that girl is ogling you. Definitely interested."

"Who? No way, she's looking at you" Jamie shook her head.

"Maybe at first, but then she saw you" Saeko said suggestively.

Jamie looked at the fifth-year in question "Really?"

"Yup" the brunette grinned, "How about I leave you and you can try be all suave. I think Helena is calling me, bye!"

The Brit looked panicked "Wait, Saeko…" she started but her friend fled into the crowd. Jamie gulped.

Saeko smirked as she watched the blonde chaser gathering courage. Helena who approached her with a drink looked towards Jamie as well "What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing" Saeko said innocently.

"Hm"

The blonde didn't get any word in as a quite drunken Caitlin hugged the Uchiha "Saeko, my man. Woman. Girl! Just who I wanted to see!"

"Oh?" the sharingan user asked with a raised eyebrow.

Caitlin nodded in an overly serous manner "Yes. Me and Graham were wondering if true that in Japan you can buy used panties on the streets. G-man read it in a pervy magazine of his."

"Were you wondering about that over some shots perhaps?"

"Maaaaybe"

Saeko shook her head, she wondered if her friend will be able to function tomorrow at all "I read something like that as well but I never saw it in person. That matter aside you should drink some water and go to bed."

"Nah" Caitlin shrugged, "What about you Helena, bought any used underwear recently?"

The blonde just opened her mouth in disbelief. Saeko grinned and patted Helena on her shoulder "Alright, you two have fun with that, I'll go and try to use my grades to get laid. _Ja ne_!_"_

* * *

><p><strong>Headmaste<strong>**r's Office**

"Sugar Cane" Saeko said with a frown as she stood before the gargoyle that guarded the stairwell to the Headmaster's office. How could any self-respecting adult choose this as his password was beyond her, especially if all the passwords she has been given before were also sweets and thus more easily guessable.

Once the girl was before the door she was prompted to enter before she could knock – a nice touch, it gave Dumbledore an advantage from the start on those that could be intimidated.

"Good evening miss Uchiha" the old wizard greeted.

"Good evening."

Saeko sat down on the chair she was directed to. Dumbledore smiled "Tea? Lemon Drop?"

"No, thank you Headmaster" the ninja refused.

Dumbledore took one of the offered yellow candies and popped it into his mouth, humming with enjoyment. Saeko smiled pleasantly, maintaining appearances even if she preferred to go right to business. Instead the duo spent several minutes discussing Hogwarts and Saeko's studies.

Finally the elder changed the subject "Next year will be a little bit special, I will have a mission for you."

"Me specifically?"

"Yes. It won't burden you too much and I don't want more ninja in Hogwarts. I'll send details to Konoha when I have all the information" Dumbledore assured.

"Alright" Saeko nodded, even if she was far from happy, she liked to be informed.

Dumbledore seemed to understand and smiled slightly "As you may have heard Harry Potter will start attending Hogwarts. Are you aware who he is?"

Jiraiya had been very informative on that front. "Of course, the-boy-who-lived. A lot of hopes ride on that boy it seems" Saeko said in her most innocent tone.

The Headmaster's hand twitched but otherwise he stayed true to his grandfatherly persona "Indeed. The opposite is true as well – there may be elements that wish to harm him."

Saeko nodded but said nothing, waiting patiently for her mission.

"For now I would like him to be generally kept safe and protected. I'm quite confident in me and my staff's abilities but it wouldn't be of any harm if another, especially one trained to spot danger, kept an eye on the boy. It should be done as non-invasively as possible" Dumbledore laid out his plans.

"That sounds agreeable" Saeko unofficially accepted. A summon could take care of the surveillance and the ninja would intervene only if the headmaster wished it or if the boy was in danger. "_I'll need to read carefully the wording of the mission, Dumbledore most certainly has plans for this Harry and my interrupting those plans would be bad for business. Oh, and what a lucrative business it is – those Brits are a goldmine, pun intended" _she thought.

"Anyone specific that would want to harm the boy at Hogwarts?" Saeko probed.

"There are several children of Death Eaters" Dumbledore said and for the first time showed another emotion than happiness that went with his persona, "But sins of the father are not theirs."

"And teachers or other staff, no trouble there?"

Dumbledore seemed affronted "I pick my staff very carefully." After a brief pause the man continued softly "Severus might dislike the boy, I will not delve into why, but he's harmless and I trust him completely."

Saeko didn't react but made a note of it in her mind. To move things along she continues her questioning "Outside elements?"

"Hogwarts has the most potent wards in the entire British Isles and maybe beyond" was the proud answer.

Saeko hummed, it was true, her sharingan helped her spot some of the runes that made the Castle's protection and they were truly exquisite. She already had a pan to study them once she was better in the subject.

"It would not be a guarding mission per se, just look out for him. If anything specific comes up I will contact you and deal with it ad hoc" Dumbledore clarified.

The ninja resisted rolling her eyes "Very well. Last question, what about the man himself? Jiraiya said he's still probably alive somewhere."

"Voldemort" the elder said in a hard voice, "I don't know where or what he might be."

Saeko took note of the phrasing and nodded "I will take a draft of the contract to Hokage-sama and I'll be in touch."

"I'll send you an owl before tomorrow's departure" the headmaster agreed.

Taking it as a dismissal Saeko stood up. Dumbledore smiled grandfatherly at her again "Thank you and good night miss Uchiha. And have a wonderful holiday."

"You as well Headmaster" the kunoichi said back and exited the office.

The Uchiha calmly walked to the Ravenclaw tower, stopping only to unseal her pipe. "_Next term sound like fun_" she thought merrily and used a minor katon jutsu to light it up.


	51. 3- 51 Turning a New LEAF

***Turning a new LEAF***

**Hokage****'****s Office**

"You want me to do what?!" Saeko exclaimed in pure disbelief.

Sarutobi chuckled, evidently amused, as he repeated "I need you to take care of a genin team for a little while, their sensei is down for the count for at least two weeks."

The brunette stood speechless for a few beats. After she had delivered her report on her third year at Hogwarts she expected to be given some big and difficult mission to boost her resumé. This… _mission_ was difficult alright but in a whole other way she expected.

"You want me to babysit three inexperienced genin" Saeko said flatly to confirm.

The Hokage nodded happily "Indeed. And they are not inexperienced, Nara Hiroshi, their sensei, is thinking of entering them in the next chuunin exams. Since those are in Suna in a few months they can't afford to stay idle now."

"Why me?" Saeko whined in a un-Uchiha like manner.

"Well, to be honest, I have most of my jounin occupied elsewhere and the rest are just not fit to teach" Sarutobi answered brightly, clearly enjoying the situation.

The scarred kunoichi just eyed her leader warily "And I am?"

"Yes" the Hokage said with a smile as he lowered the hat that was the symbol of his station.

Saeko surrendered "Alright, I'll do it."

"Excellent" the elder said happily and took four files from the huge pile of paperwork, "Here you go, Team 9. I'll get them meet you the day after tomorrow at their training field."

Taking the offered files Saeko asked "What do you expect of me? Training, missions? What?"

"Yes" Sarutobi said. At the Uchiha's glare he smiled again and took out his pipe "You are their temporary sensei so do as you feel necessary."

"I have pretty high standards" the brunette said as in warning.

The Hokage just smiled.

In one last ditch effort Saeko asked "Are you sure he's injured and not just faking it because his team is troublesome? He_ is_ a Nara."

"Nope" Sarutobi said with great gusto. When the Uchiha sighed the elder smiled "Think of it as a trial run for your eventual genin team. Every Hokage trains at least one team…"

The brunette sighed again "That's practically blackmail. Alright, bring it on, let it not be said that the future Godaime shrunk from her duties!"

"I knew I could count on you" the man said in a very much self-satisfied voice.

X

**Training Field 9**

Saeko was underwhelmed when finally faced with her temporary charges. Team 9 consisted of two boys and one girl as was usual.

Kirigaya Ryouta was from a shinobi family, his mother died during the Kyuubi attack and his father had taken care of him ever since. Ryouta had inherited his father's suiton affinity but not trained overly in it, favoring twin kukri knives instead.

Hagimura Retsu was the lone girl of the team. She too was from a shinobi family and specialized in kenjutsu. Her file said she idolized Uzumaki Kushina to an unhealthy degree but at least relented and instead of using a katana she settled on a ninjatō which she was more suited for.

The third member and the only one from a civilian family was Chitose Keita. The genjutsu specialist with a known mean streak was the best out of the three of them even despite his background. Keita was also talented with senbon to which he began adding various poisons as per his sensei's advice.

All in all not the best out of the academy but definitely not the worst. All three most likely would not reach beyond the rank of chuunin but since their Nara, read extremely lazy, sensei had bothered to train them in the first place there had to be something about them.

Saeko eyed the trio and let out a fairly high killing intent just to see how they would cope with it. She was pleased to see that neither genin seemed to freeze even if they were affected. Letting the KI fade she smiled tightly at her charges "Hello, while your sensei is recuperating I'll be in charge of Team 9. I'm Uchiha Saeko and you'll call me Uchiha-taichō since I'm not replacing Nara-san in his role of jounin-sensei."

To their credit the genin, who were just a little younger if not the same age then she was, just nodded. Saeko was glad to note that lack of respect will not be a problem.

"According to your file you have completed three low B-ranks so you must be quite good. I know roughly what you can do but I will be seeing that for myself. Also expect some hard training on my part and we will be running some missions as well" Saeko continued, "But first it's introduction time!"

The wiry genjutsu user was first to speak "Name's Chitose Keita. I like illusions and kicking all those entitled clan member's assess when they say I can't compare. Hiroshi-sensei has me reading about poisons and I'm working on how to make them."

Saeko nodded "I can't help you with poisons but genjutsu is something I'm proficient in."

The boy snorted "As an Uchiha I'm sure."

"Yes, one of those entitled clans" the brunette smiled sweetly. Keita just shrugged with a chuckle.

The girl went next "I'm Hagimura Retsu and my wish is to be as skilled as my idol Kushina-sama…." The kunoichi went on and on but the jounin tuned her out, not getting anything more than what was on the file. The only new information was that she had tried fuinjutsu, the Uzumaki field of expertise, but didn't have a talent for it.

"Yeah, I suck at seals too" Saeko interrupted the girl, "and I use a tantō, a shorter sword than yours, but I can be your sparring partner. Also I have observed numerous kenjutsu users with my sharingan so that's something I can help you with."

The girl nodded eagerly. The last genin snorted in amusement at his teammate's enthusiasm and was the next to speak "As you know my name is Kirigaya Ryouta. I'm really good with my knives and other stuff. What I would like is to concentrate on my water affinity but dad says to leave that for chuunin and refuses to teach me. Hiroshi-sensei agrees, or to be more precise says 'it would be too troublesome'. Whether that means to teach me or to go against my father I do not know."

Saeko eyed the frowning short-haired boy "Learning to use one's affinity effectively is a lengthy process. It takes time and commitment. Many genin and fresh chuunin have died because they thought they were ready but it took them a moment too long to use a jutsu or they overestimated the strength of their technique."

Ryouta sighed but nodded his acceptance. The Uchiha narrowed her eyes "But if you'll let me or someone I trust approve a jutsu as battle ready then I'll help you."

"REALLY?!" the kukri user shouted in joy.

"Really" Saeko said with a slight smile. Her face turned stern once more "I was serious about the approval. No matter what, you won't use a jutsu I have not approved in a true fight. Also you won't study any new jutsu until you have learned the previous one."

"I promise" Ryouta said with determination.

The scarred brunette nodded "Very well. Also don't expect results right away. As I said, it takes time."

Ryouta rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "I.. I might've…"

"You totally did some exercises on your own when your dad wasn't looking" Saeko said knowingly.

"Hai" the boy admitted.

The Uchiha grinned "Great, teaching you the basic would be too troublesome."

Team 9 laughed at Saeko channeling their usual sensei.

Saeko's grin turned downright scary as she said "Now my cute little genin, let's see what are you made of."

The trio gulped and immediately drew their respective weapons. The brunette laughed in delight and attacked Retsu in a low chuunin speed.

* * *

><p><strong>Satoshi<strong>**'s Dangō**

"Well if it isn't my favorite Uchiha" a voice interrupted Saeko's musings.

Knowing exactly who it was the scarred kunoichi brought a protective hand over her plate of dangō "Hello Anko."

The purple-haired ninja grinned "You know, you could treat me to some sake at least after being out for so long."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Saeko asked with a slight smirk.

"Meh" Anko shrugged and waived for a waitress. Giving her order she turned to her friend "So what's new?"

Seeing the classified nature of her mission the Uchiha spoke in very vague terms. Anko sighed in disappointment but didn't question further, more than used to the secrecy of their jobs. In return Saeko was regaled with tales of the last happenings in Konoha and the juicy bits of gossip the snake summoner was known for.

When Anko's plate arrived she immediately took one skewer of the delicious treat and smiled wickedly "There is one more fun fact going around. You neglected to mention you're babysitting."

Saeko groaned and let her head thud on the table.

"That bad huh?" Anko asked.

The Uchiha sighed "Actually no, they are ok. Just… I'd rather do other things. Plus, they already know the control exercises so no fun in that department."

"I feel ya" the tokubetsu jounin nodded solemnly, "But it's just temporary, you can watch the next batch of rookies fall from trees and into water."

"There is that" Saeko smirked evilly. After a pause she sighed "At least when I'm in-village people see me, it's good to remind everybody their prospective Hokage is still alive and awesome as ever."

Anko laughed. Then getting an idea she exclaimed "Hey, you can take them to the Forest of Death! That is always fun!"

"Not bad, not bad at all. But then again if they get eaten by something it would be a mountain of paperwork" the brunette mused.

"True" Anko nodded and grinned when the waitress put another plate before her. Saeko smiled at the civilian girl as well and subtly checked her out as she went away.

The older kunoichi chuckled and swallowed the dango "Naughty, naughty, Uchiha."

Saeko shrugged with a smirk ad took a sip of her tea. Anko smirked "Who's teaching the _gaki_s originally?"

"Nara Hiroshi. Thank Kami the genin did not any Nara traits and actually work hard"

Anko didn't seem to know the man so she asked "Did you get anything special planned?"

The sharingan user shrugged "Drills, drills, drills. I want to know how they work together and what they are capable of before we take even one step outside from the village."

"Smart"

X

**A day later**

"Uchiha-taichō!" Keita said with his best puppy dog-eyed impression.

Saeko rubbed the bridge of her nose and exhaled loudly as she capitulated "We'll be taking a C-rank tomorrow."

"Yatta!" all three genin exclaimed.

"_I'm weak. So so weak."_ Getting annoyed at the cheers of the genin the brunette called for order "Enough! Back to training and no whining! You get to back to stretching, running, the works."

"Aye, aye"

The jounin sat down and began a meditation exercise, her mood getting better at every pained grunt and huff of exertion. Ahh, the joy of training weights.

Some time later Saeko opened her eyes and stood up "Alright, let's train!" The three genin stood at attention, waiting for instructions.

"Retsu, you and I are going to spar" the jounin announced. The girl perked up, there were not many ninja who were knowledgeable in kenjutsu. Saeko already helped her immensely in her chosen area in just the few days as a team leader since her father, her original teacher, was quite busy with his own missions and she knew the family style already.

She turned to the genjutsu user "Keita, I'll be teaching you shunshin. It's very handy but to be more than just a cool transportation jutsu it needs an illusion to cover it up."

"Sounds useful" the wiry boy nodded.

Turning to the last member of the team "Ryouta, you get the water sports." The boy groaned but Saeko shut him up "You need more control over the element before you even attempt suiton jutsu. You wanted it so you don't get to complain."

The wanna-be ninjutsu specialist sighed and headed towards the lake that was part of the training field. Signaling to Retsu to do whatever she took the boy aside and began explaining how shunshin worked.

When she was confident he got the gist of it the only thing left was practice. Saeko nodded "Good, now try it out, the last try was correct just too slow and you went off course a bit. When you get it mastered I'll teach you how to combine genjutsu with it.

Keita nodded and Saeko returned to her only female student. Deciding to mix things up a bit she drew surreptitiously her wand and transfigured a nearby twig into a plain katana. Facing her opponent she whistled to get her attention and attacked in a low chuunin speed.

Retsu reacted immediately but had great trouble to adapt at the jounin's style – she drew accustomed to fighting against a tantō. A fact that Saeko reprimanded her for as she kept the genin off-balance.

All in all, the girl was good. Not excellent but she was getting there. Her Nara sensei had her do many speed exercises and she could match the speed that Saeko set. She also had a good grasp on Academy Three and used it with great imagination. The Uchiha particularly liked the little illusion that made her sword look shorter that it was in reality, though that was only useful for the first attack. But then again one good hit it all it takes.

Deciding to make another change Saeko's left hand left the handle of the katana and she used it to draw her tantō. Dual-wilding took Retsu by surprise and she stilled when she felt the cold steel against her neck.

Saeko sighed "Expect the unexpected. Again!"

Later when the sword-user was sprawled on her ass again the Uchiha announced loudly, to be heard even by Ryouta "That's it for today!"

After dismissing her temporary team Saeko took off for the Uchiha Compound. Taking the long way she decided to make a pit stop at Higurashi's.

"Hey, Tenten, how's it going?"

The chuunin looked up from her and smiled "Saeko! Welcome back!"

Both girls talked, Tenten had some really exciting stories, some of them even weren't about youth. She was also really hyper about her recent fuinjutsu successes. Pity she used her talent in the field just to stuff as many weapons as possible into a single scroll. But hey, it seemed to work for her.

In turn Saeko shared her new and wonderful experience that is teaching. Tenten was very amused. As the girl laughed and laughed Saeko sighed and started browsing the wares.

"Don't you have a fancy Uchiha Armory?" Tenten bantered as always and wiped her eyes from laughter.

The heiress shrugged "Just looking around if I find inspiration."

"Picking a special something for your students?" the bun-haired kunoichi smirked.

Saeko replied nonchalantly "Hush or I will supply them with green jumpsuits and tell them you are their eternal rival."

"You wouldn't!" Tenten said aghast.

"Two of them actually like swords. Not much in the terms of eyebrows but I can work with it"

The chuunin held up her hands in surrender "Please don't."

Another brief conversation later Saeko bid her friend goodbye. Feeling social still she decided to swing by the Nara Compound, with luck she'll find him there and if not his mother knows all his hiding places.

Ahh, how she missed those guys.

* * *

><p><strong>Konoha<strong>**'s Gates**

Saeko arrived at the gates to meet with her Team. All of them happy to get out of the village again, backpacks in hand. Before the jounin could say something she noticed a friend of hers talking to Kotetsu and Izumo.

"Hello Saeko" said the grinning Anko.

The full jounin sighed "Hello."

"So this little birdie told me you are taking your _gaki_s for a mission" the purplette grinned wider, "Imagine my surprise, you seemed so determined to run drills, drills, drills."

Saeko just put her face in her palm and said softly "Let's just go."


	52. 3- 52 Trial Run

***Trial Run***

"Taichō, can we go on another mission?" Keita asked.

Saeko arched her eyebrows "We just returned from one yesterday."

"That one was boring" Retsu chimed in.

The third genin shook his head "I would prefer training actually, I think I'm close."

"You are actually right. I was thinking on giving you a basic yet versatile suiton jutsu" the Uchiha announced with a slight grin.

Ryouta's response didn't disappoint "Yahooooo!"

Retsu patted her friend on the back with a smile and Keita offered his hand for a high five. Saeko thought it was precious. The Uchiha often underestimated the joy of learning a new jutsu, those with the sharingan anyway.

"You two go and play with genjutsu, me and Ryouta will work on the Water Bullet" Saeko said in dismissal. The boy in question practically hopped in excitement. Keita and Retsu shot him a thumbs up and left for their own practice.

Saeko sat down and patted the ground in front of her in invitation. The genin obliged and looked up at his temporary sensei as though he was waiting for some holy words. The Uchiha started explaining all she knew about the Suidan no Jutsu. She made a point of stressing that the next suiton control exercise is still necessary.

Two demonstrations later Ryouta was ready to try. Saeko observed closely the chakra buildup in his stomach with her sharingan as the boy made his first attempt.

Confident that he wouldn't blow himself up Saeko left her student to it and hopped on a nearby tree. Half-laying comfortably on the branch she unsealed her copy of Icha Icha Violence.

_Teaching isn't so bad after all, plenty of free time if you mimicked Kakashi and having minions isn't half-bad either. One just has to develop some resistance to the puppy-dog eyes when they want something._

Looking up to the sun Saeko decided to announce "Genin, front and center!" The students obeyed immediately and the brunette gave them an hour for lunch. The grateful trio skedaddled and Saeko unsealed an apple for herself, not pausing her reading.

After her quick lunch Saeko used fuinjutsu once more to summon her pipe. She was thoroughly enjoying her holiday – she had a wonderful spar with some of her Uchiha clansmen, she was comfortable, the book was surprisingly good and she was home. What more could a woman want.

"Hello taichō"

Saeko looked up from her book and smiled warmly "Yuuko, wonderful to see you!"

The Yamanaka grinned "Anko told me you're back and _teaching_. How goes it?"

"Surprisingly well" the younger kunoichi replied.

Yuuko hopped on the same branch the jounin was laying on and sung her legs merrily. The two girls talked, they bantered and flirted as always. A fact even her genin noticed when they returned to the training field. Saeko eyed them sharply and ordered "Resume what you were doing in the morning. Off you go."

The students snickered and saluted. Yuuko observed as they started training and then looked at her friend "They are cute."

"They are temporary" Saeko shrugged.

"Anko said they have a Nara teacher, nice to see their work ethic is not corrupted."

The Uchiha smirked "So I am a target of gossip, huh?"

"Always" the blonde smirked as well.

The two of them looked at the genin training for a little while then Yuuko spoke up once more "The girl you were spy-banging, you tired of her yet?"

Saeko was a bit affronted "I told you that was not the case but yes, we are no longer together."

"I'm T&I, I wouldn't judge either way but I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that" Yuuko apologized.

"That's alright, you'll just have to make it up to me" the sharingan user smirked.

Yuuko chuckled "Hai taichō."

Before they could say more an excited shout reverberated through the clearing "I DID IT!"

Saeko looked at the beaming Ryouta and then shifted her gaze to the wet tree devoid of bark, result of his brand new jutsu. She smiled encouragingly "Good job! Do it again."

"_Suiton:__ Suidan no Jutsu_!"

The scarred jounin examined the result "Very good indeed. It just needs more power but you got it. That still doesn't mean it's battle ready, you got to play with it some more."

"I know" the boy replied, not dejected at all.

"Well, that is my cue, go be the sensei, I need to go to the Detention Facility anyway" Yuuko grinned mischievously and pecked Saeko on the cheek.

The genin 'awwwed' as Saeko bid her friend goodbye. Turning to face her students she put on the icy Uchiha façade "Quit gawking my cute little genin, it's speed training time Anko style!"

"Anko style?" Retsu asked.

Saeko smiled sadistically "Quick tip: start dodging."

* * *

><p><strong>Outside the Hyuuga Compound<strong>

"Well, that was fun" Saeko said with a sigh.

Neji just shrugged "You knew what you were getting into when you accepted the invite."

"Yeah, a Hyuuga tea ceremony sounded like a blast right from the start" the kunoichi joked.

"Just as an Uchiha tea ceremony I would wager" the chuunin countered.

"Touché"

The Hyuuga smiled as much as he was able "Well, Hiashi-sama actually said you are one of the few Uchiha he could somewhat respect."

"Oh yeah, I noticed I only got a raised eyebrow or two and a slight sneer here and there" Saeko said in a faux-impressed voice.

"See? Progress"

Saeko laughed "You just made a joke! Are the heavens falling?" Neji's lips quirked upwards and the girl had to smile at the fact, he really changed for the better. "So Hiashi and you still seem to be getting along, training and all. He also looked quite proud when he mentioned you are could be a candidate for jounin soon."

"That's a long way away, I practically just made chuunin" the shinobi countered even if his voice was tinged by pride as well.

"You were held back for chuunin. Besides, now you don't have the weakness you had before – if someone knew you just a little bit they could make you fly into a rage with the right trigger."

"I know" Neji said sullenly, well aware of his shortcomings.

Saeko smirked to lighten up the mood "Also it just wouldn't do if only the Uchiha prodigy was jounin and not the Hyuuga one."

"I'll make sure to tell the Hokage" the pale-eyes ninja shot back.

The brunettes laughed "Another joke, my my, you have really changed. I like it. Good, my jounin commander looks better and better."

"Jounin Commander?"

Saeko smirked "You and Shika can duck it out."

Neji had to laugh "That would be too troublesome."

The duo said their goodbyes, Saeko had to go back to her genin and Neji had promised to help Hanabi with her juuken.

Sighing the Uchiha tugged on the collar of her formal kimono – she was not used to it after wearing only the Hogwarts uniform and the shinobi one, even if she had to dress like this for Clan council meetings and other events when her father was in power. The worst part was that one of said meetings was the day after the next so she would have to put on the Uchiha poker face and a up once more.

Once at home she quickly changed, it was time to play sensei again. When she was back in her uniform she pondered what to do with her minions that afternoon. She hummed when her gaze passed a gift she received few days ago from a distant cousin she sparred on occasion.

Finally Saeko took the sealing scroll and calmly made her way to the training grounds.

When the jounin arrived at the field her temporary team was using she spotted her three charges eating lunch. As her stomach grumbled slightly she thought "_Time to abuse teaching privileges."_

"Good afternoon, my darling subordinates" Saeko greeted the trio and took an egg roll out of Keita's bento.

"Hey!" the boy protested. The kunoichi only smirked and stole a piece of fish. Then she turned to the suiton user she hummed "Onigiri, my favorite. And you have enough for me too, how thoughtful of you. Thank you!"

Ryouta just pouted and looked sadly as his teacher ate part of his lunch. Seeing what fate befell her teammates Retsu practically inhaled her own meal before it could be taken away. It was Saeko's turn to pout "I'm cranky when I'm hungry, just so you know. And we will be sparring today."

"Then why didn't you eat?" Retsu asked in trepidation.

Saeko sighed "I was making nice with the Hyuuga."

"They didn't feed you?" asked the disgruntled Keita.

"Nope, just the usual stuff that accompanies a tea ceremony" the Uchiha shared, "That means you three are treating me to ramen when we finish today."

The students groaned.

"Now," Saeko grinned, "we begin! Retsu you will go first, you boys stay and observe. Everything goes so you two get to plan a bit, I want to see some strategies since you have such a huge advantage."

Keita and Ryouta nodded and hopped on the branch that Saeko often used to overseer their training. In the meantime Retsu drew her blade and prepared herself.

The jounin nodded in approval and took out the scroll she had been gifted. Looking at the sealing array inside she warned her opponent "I'll be trying out a new weapon so be careful."

Retsu gulped.

Saeko spun her new weapon, getting a feel for it. It was a glaive – it was a heavier naginata-like weapon with a differently shaped blade. The Uchiha prodigy seldom used pole weapons if one discounts the giant fan she used to enhance her fire jutsus, but this one was truly beautiful.

The sensei let Retsu look at the weapon for quite a while so she could get an idea what to expect but then she attacked, no sharingan and with chuunin speed.

At first the genin was ecstatic that she could keep up with Saeko but as the jounin grew more accustomed to her new weapon Retsu began frowning more and more.

When Saeko used the blunt end to trip up her student Retsu exploded "That's so not far! I only had some semblance of a chance against you when you used a weapon you are untrained in and then it took you like five minutes to become a pro in it anyway!"

"Lightening Country folks sure knows how to make their weapons" Saeko said in lieu of an answer. Naturally she didn't share the Uchiha clansman who gifted it to her showed her some moves he observed out of the previous owner. Well, before ending him that is. The sharingan is truly is an excellent tool.

The genin murmured something just on the edge of hearing. It involved words like 'smug' and 'shit'.

Saeko smirked "I _am_ a jounin you know."

Retsu's eyes narrowed and she shot up from the ground, trying to take the jounin by surprise. Saeko parried effortlessly but stayed on the defensive, observing her charge. The genin was very good with a sword considering her rank but that was it. She fought more like a samurai then a kunoichi, a big disadvantage. Since her time with the brats was almost over she decided against talking about adding a new skill but she was determined to mention it to their regular sensei. But then again he was a Nara, he must've thought about it as well. Just kenjutsu and basics could be enough for chuunin promotions but she would need to be exceptional and have some brilliant strategies to compensate…

As Saeko knocked Retsu on her ass again she nodded and shouted "Next!"

Keita and Ryouta looked at each other and both shook their heads simultaneously. Saeko tapped the ground impatiently. The boys argued briefly and then played jan-ken-pon to determine who would go first.

Ryouta lost.

Saeko smiled as creepily as she could, just for kicks, and spun her glaive around.

* * *

><p><strong>Training Field 6<strong>

It was raining, pouring even, but the life of a genin student would not stop because of something small like that. Jounins on the other hand had much more freedom. As that was the case Saeko sat on her usual branch under an umbrella while her students were doing push-ups in the mud.

"And now jumping jacks!" the Uchiha shouted from atop her perch.

The genin gritted their teeth but obeyed – they knew better. Once when they were 'too unruly' she asked Guy to take them for a training session. Needless to say that the trio now knew what a wonderful and sane sensei she was in comparison.

As she cackled in her corner Saeko thought that the Sorting Hat had been right to push for Slytherin. But then again every jounin who had been assigned wet behind the ears genin found an immeasurable amount of glee in torturing them.

Her gaze settled on the trio hopping in the rain. "_Hmm,_ _where would I put them? Keita would be a Snake for sure. Retsu? The girl would be a Gryffindor, and a trouble-making one like the Weasleys to boot. Ryouta would be tougher to sort. But then again he is the glue that holds the team together, always ready to lend a helping hand – he would do well in Hufflepuff."_

"Laps!"

"_Shika and the whole Nara clan are easy – Ravenclaws. Naruto is as well, a typical Gryff_" Saeko thought about her friends in Konoha, _"Chouji is a Puff, Neji? Slytherin, he__'__s got their __passive-aggressive manner down pat. Anko is a snake as well funnily enough. Itachi is hard. Hmm, loyalty and hard work are big with him but some of his plots and genjutsu are downright vile…"_

"SENSEI!" three young voices bellowed in joy.

"Troublesome" the man replied as he got a hug from his genin, the smiling despite his words.

Saeko smiled at the scene and hopped down from her spot. Calmly the Uchiha made her way to the hugging team to greet Nara Hiroshi. The man caught her eye, nodded and turned back to the genin "Weren't you just doing laps?"

"Sensei!" the trio shouted again, this time in poorly concealed horror.

"I believe it was time to switch to chin-ups" Saeko grinned wickedly.

"Taichō" the genin said dejectedly and marched towards the tree line. The two jounin chuckled.

While the soaked students were working out, Saeko briefed the Nara about his team. Despite the always-bored expression of the typical Nara, Hiroshi seemed quite happy about the team's improvement. The Uchiha was very proud that her first teaching experience was a success.

After the discussion was finished Hiroshi thanked profusely the sharingan user and went to his team.

"_Mission accomplished, now let__'__s get me some sake"_

X

**Takeji****'s Bar**

It seemed the weather has chased the majority of Konoha into various bars. Saeko's favorite was packed as well. In one corner she could see Asuma ad Kurenai enjoying talking with each other, oblivious of the surroundings, aka Guy and Kakashi who were engaged in another one-sided competition. Other than that there were several ninja she had worked with before but wasn't particularly friendly with. Saeko was pretty bummed out that her two favorite kunoichi from the T&I department were nowhere to be found.

Finally Saeko's eyes found Genma drinking alone at the bar. The brunette sat beside him "Are you drinking away your sorrows or are you up for some company?"

"Nope, just drinking for the sake of drinking" the senbon user replied with a smile.

Saeko ordered a drink as well and turned to her friend "Where are your pals? I know Aoba is away but at least Ebisu should be in village."

"Ebisu is with his brats doing the teaching thing. Speaking of which how are your brats?" the man asked.

"Having a joyful reunion with their sensei" the Uchiha explained.

Genma arched his eyebrows in surprise "Wow, that sounded bitter."

"What can I say, they grew on me. Who will I torture now?" Saeko laughed, "But really, I'm glad that things will be returning to normal. That said I won't protest too much when Hokage-sama saddles me with my eventual genin team."

The shinobi hummed "Good for you. Me, I'm glad I'm just a tokujō."

"If you put in a bit of effort you would be a full jounin already" Saeko said dismissively.

The Hokage guard chuckled "Thanks but no thanks. Tokubetsu jounin is the best rank you can have – high enough for great pay and excitement but not that high-profile, it's ideal."

"Lazy bum"

"Attention whore" was the quick reply.

Saeko laughed "What can I say, I love being on the top."

"Oooh, do tell me all about it" said another voice interrupted the conversation. Saeko looked back and smiled at the sight of Yuuko. The blonde sat down beside the Uchiha and grinned.

Genma looked at the blonde appreciatively and winked at Saeko "Friend of yours?"

"Yep" Saeko grinned and immediately ordered two more drinks.

Yuuko grinned and nodded in thanks at the glass "You're the best taichō."

The senbon-user let out a laud laugh, obviously enjoying the flirty banter. Saeko smirked and introduced the two.

"Shouldn't be with your brats just about now?" the Yamanaka asked.

Saeko shrugged "I'm brat-free."

"Excellent!" Yuuko exclaimed, "I'm off the clock and Genma-san is free as well. Let's drink!"

"You're late for that party" Genma said and pointed to the empty glassed in front of them.

Yuuko frowned "We can't have that. Barkeep!"

Both Genma and Saeko eyed the huge bottle the blonde interrogator ordered in dread. The man whispered to his friend "I hope someone comes this way and saves us. If we drink this just the three of us we will be puking into next week."

Yuuko obviously heard him "Pussies. But if you are really that concerned Anko and some guys from T&I might come by later. Even Ibiki might join. Now, bottoms up!"

The duo drank quickly, not to look bad before the blonde chuunin.

X

"Truth or dare!"

"Truth" Genma replied, wobbling slightly.

Yuuko frowned, trying to come up with a good question. Then her eyes lit up "I have it! Have you ever kissed a man?"

The tokujō blushed but said nothing. Yuuko and Saeko hooted and high-fived. Genma blushed harder "It was more or less an accident! It was for a mission and I honestly believed he was a woman!"

At this both girls erupted in laughter. Genma drank another shot "Whatever, it's my turn! Yuuko, truth or dare!"

"Dare!"

"I dare you…" said the man, eyes looking frantically about. His eyes found Guy and he smirked deviously "to say to Guy you are not youthful enough and join him and Lee for a morning work-out!"

Yuuko's eyes grew wide in horror "I would rather drink this entire bottle before those words crossed my lips."

Both jounin laughed. Yuuko downed her shot quickly "Saeko, truth or dare?"

"Dare!"

The blonde kunoichi smirked "Kiss me. Properly."

Saeko smirked as well, not sparing a look at the more than interested Genma on her right.

A few beats of silence later Genma grew more uncomfortable than excited. "Guys. Guys!"

The two girls ignored him completely.


	53. 3- 53 Meeting the Medic

***Meeting the Medic***

"Jounin Uchiha, jounin Uchiha!" said a loud voice, trying to wake up the kunoichi in question.

Saeko tried valiantly to untangle herself from Yuuko's embrace "What?"

"An emergency arose, you are needed. The Hokage will brief you" said the porcelain mask.

The Uchiha nodded and the ANBU vanished. Yuuko sighed "The Hokage is always the ultimate cock-blocker."

"Sorry" Saeko said as she busied with her clothes.

Yuuko drew the blanket over herself "It's far from the first time this happened. By the way those guys are creepy, how do they know where everybody is?"

Saeko shrugged. She actually didn't know and Itachi was silent on the matter. "I have to go, see you when I return" the brunette said and pecked the chuunin on the lips.

Yuuko just hummed, already halfway back asleep.

The brunette chuckled and took the fastest route to the Hokage Tower. From the hustle and bustle on the streets and the position of the sun she surmised it was almost noon therefore lessening her outrage at having been woken up so early.

Having been fast-tracked in the Hokage Tower she found herself at Sarutobi's door in no time. Saeko knocked and entered the office.

"Excellent news Saeko-kun" Sarutobi immediately began, "I got a letter Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice. It seems my student has no idea she contacted me so you'll need to move fast."

Saeko's eyes lit up "That is excellent news! Wait, Tsunade doesn't know? I have to pack my armor then."

Sarutobi chuckled "That would be prudent. Shizune-chan wrote that Tsunade is stuck and needs help with those healing spells and formulas but refuses to contact Konoha."

At this the Uchiha couldn't help but gulp "You mean I have to deal with an angry sannin whose pride is hurt? Are you sure about this? I really want to live enough to have my face on the mountain."

"Afraid of a fifty-year old woman?"the elder smirked.

"Hell yes!" was the immediate reply.

The Hokage laughed and nodded "Shizune will have your back, if there is someone who can rein my student is it's her."

"Can I take someone with me?"

"I didn't think it necessary but who did you have in mind?"

Saeko hummed "Hyuuga Neji, Hokage-sama. A wonderful scout and able diplomat. And a reliable friend that would never leave me in trouble."

"Very well" Sarutobi nodded, still smiling.

The brunette smiled gratefully and stood at attention "My mission?"

"Meet with Shizune in Otafuku Gai and answer her questions without disclosing Hogwarts. If by any chance you manage to convince my student to return I'll file this as a successful S-rank mission. Oh, and don't get killed" the aged leader laid out the parameters.

Saeko nodded "As per your orders."

"Make haste" Sarutobi dismissed the girl, "Oh and your Hogwarts letter arrived, collect it when you return."

"Aye aye"

* * *

><p><strong>Otafuku Gai<strong>

"I found them" Neji said as he powered down his byakugan.

Saeko nodded "Good, they are still here. Let's go. Just try to remember what I told you about her."

"Be light on my feet and out of her arms reach" the Hyuuga said as one corner of his mouth shot upwards.

"Hilarious. Even Naruto said she is very abrasive, just don't get pissed" the Uchiha warned again.

Neji arched his eyebrows "Naruto knows what abrasive means?"

"I was paraphrasing"

"Ah"

The two ninja made their way to the bar their target was in. As soon as they entered both had to sigh, it was clear the slug summoner had been drinking and was in a bad mood. Her mood darkened even further when she spotted the uniforms.

Saeko thought relatively long about what to wear – she knew the classic uniform would irritate Tsunade from the start but so would her Uchiha garb. She contemplated wearing her uniform with her haori but that would seem pretentious. Finally she settled on the classic jounin uniform and hoped for the best. At least Neji tempered the fact by wearing a very nice brown and white Hyuuga robes.

"Why is Konoha sending me all these brats? First the annoying blonde and now the latest Uchiha prodigy from the looks of it. And a Hyuuga pretty boy. What do you want?" Tsunade said bluntly.

Saeko and Neji bowed slightly as was customary "Uchiha Saeko and Hyuuga Neji here to help you with the new jutsu Konoha sent."

Tsunade frowned even more, turned to her apprentice and growled "Shizuneeee?"

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, but we do need help" the brunette said resolutely.

The blonde folded her arms "I told you I will figure it out."

Shizune mirrored the pose "Yes you will, so I invited the originator here."

Tsunade humphed and turned to the Konoha ninja "An Uchiha and a Hyuuga? Shouldn't you two hate each other?"

"Why?" Neji said tried to say in his most surprised voice.

Saeko chuckled "Neji is my BFF."

"Hm, an Uchiha playing nice. And the only thing needed was killing half of them" the sannin said acerbically.

"Tsunade-sama" Shizune said in reproach.

The blonde humphed again "So, those jutsu of yours…"

X

"Bored?" Shizune asked the Hyuuga chuunin.

Neji inclined his head "Medicine is not my field."

"It's mine but even then I hate to work with Tsunade-sama when she is in this mood" the medic confessed.

"Saeko can handle it" the Hyuuga said resolutely.

"I sure hope so" Shizune said in a worried tone. The sound of raised voices from the inn room didn't inspire too much confidence.

"At least they are talking"

"True, I half-expected a broken jaw and us leaving the city" the brunette confessed.

Neji nodded "Saeko can be very stubborn."

Shizune chuckled.

XX

**Two Days Later**

"Are you sure I can't convince you to come back?" Saeko tried one more time.

"Nope"

The Uchiha looked at the medic duo pleadingly "Aren't you tired of only seeing Shizune-san at the time? And you too Shizune-san, don't you want to see your Konoha friends again?"

Tsunade arched her eyebrow in warning "I suggest you shut up."

"It was great to meet you two" Shizune smiled and bowed.

Saeko and Neji replied in kind.

"I guess" the sennin sighed, "then again the last time we got a visit from Konoha it was a pervert and a crazy brat. This brat at least drinks."

"You know, Konoha has great sake nowadays - imported from all over the Elemental Nations" Saeko tempted.

Shizune chuckled and Tsunade's mouth quirked upwards "Nope."

"Sorry, I had to try. If I brought you back Sarutobi-sama would make me Hokage on the spot" the Uchiha shrugged with a smile.

Tsunade's eyes widened in realization "Hokage? Ah, you are the Naruto's so called rival."

"For the Hat? Yes I am. It is my dream" Saeko nodded solemnly.

"Why?" the slug summoner asked honestly.

Saeko smiled "I would be the first female Kage, it would show everybody that women are equally capable as male ninja. I would also be the first Uchiha Hokage – it's just what the Clan needs after that Fukagu clusterfuck."

Tsunade just shrugged.

"Plus it's a great way to pick up chicks" Saeko winked.

"Perverts, perverts everywhere!" the blonde raised hr hands in exasperation.

* * *

><p><strong>Yamanaka Compound<strong>

Saeko grinned as she read the letter that had arrived from Hogwarts – besides the usual list of textbooks there was the notice she has been made quidditch captain. The envelope even contained a shiny badge. The only thing left was to schedule an appointment with Flitwick and Hooch, hold trials and voilá, Saeko-taichō leads the Ravenclaw Eagles.

The brunette sat contemplating her quidditch team as she waited for Yuuko in front of the blonde's house. The Yamanaka in question was due to arrive any minute now and Saeko was in the mood to celebrate.

It didn't take too long for Yuuko to appear. She smirked "Couldn't stay away, huh?"

"Hey, I just spent three days with a troublesome blonde and I need a blonde pick-me-up" Saeko winked. Yuuko arched her eyebrow and a motion for the Uchiha to elaborate. Saeko obliged "I had to meet with Tsunade-sama."

"Oh" the chuunin said, intrigued, "how was it?"

"Good, she doesn't hate me"

Yuuko laughed "That is good."

"Exactly" Saeko nodded solemnly, "I was thinking that perhaps we could celebrate?"

"What did you have in mind" the interrogator asked in a sultry voice.

Saeko smirked "Just unlock the door and you'll find out."

The duo tore through Yuuko's living room like a hurricane, destination: bed.

It was almost time for dinner when the kunoichi calmed down. Saeko subtly cast _tempus_ and had to suppress a sigh since she was expected at the Uchiha Compound in a little while. She turned to tell that to Yuuko but was distracted by her smug expression "Something to say?"

"The wait was so very worth it" the blonde grinned.

Saeko chuckled "Cocky much?"

"Maybe someday if you like" Yuuko winked.

The brunette laughed "Most definitely but now I need to go, I have an Uchiha dinner."

"Pity" pouted the Yamanaka as she watched her bedmate collect her clothes. When Saeko was fixing her shuriken pouch Yuuko spoke up "Just there is no confusion – I like you, very much in fact, but we are not girlfriends, we are not exclusive."

"I know that much. I knew way before you talked about how Anko is good in bed"

"That was because I was subtly trying to suggest a threesome"

"Do continue…"

* * *

><p><strong>Aaand done. This marks the end of Saeko´s third year. Next is another year at Hogwarts and the arrival of a certain bespectacled horcrux.<strong>


	54. 4- 54 The Lightening Strikes

**AN: I wanted to publish this the first of september buuuut I will be very busy the first week in so here you go. It´s on the short side but it felt like a good introduction to just leave it there.**

* * *

><p><strong>*The Lightening Strikes*<strong>

**Hogwarts Express**

"Can't believe we are already in our fourth year" Daniel said to the kunoichi as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive.

Saeko had to agree, time did move quite fast, and it was better spent than she anticipated "True, finally we will pass onto more advanced magic."

"Officially you mean" the bespectacled boy winked.

"Naturally," the Uchiha smirked, "like any Ravenclaw worth its salt would be content with the pace the staff has set."

Daniel chuckled "There have to be rules in place, we can't have the Gryffs hurting themselves."

Both Ravens laughed tad maliciously. But to be objective Saeko had to mention "That said, most of our Hoses' injuries are related to going too fast and wanting to experiment."

"Yeah" the Brit nodded, "but that still sounds better than being injured because he or she didn't read the instructions properly or just wanted to find a shortcut to do less work."

"But that is how discoveries are made" the ninja countered.

"Yeah, but corpses too" Daniel shrugged.

"Corpses? What the hell are you two talking about?" Caitlin said from the entrance to the compartment, "Never mind, I'm better off not knowing. Did you get it?"

"Get what?" both residents asked.

Caitlin squealed as her eyes zeroed to the front of Saeko's robes "You did!"

Saeko cleared her throat "I'm flattered you are interested in my tits but this is rather sudden."

"You wish," the red-head rolled her eyes, "I knew it! They made you captain, congratulations!"

Daniel noticed the badge as well "Indeed, you'll make a good captain."

"Thanks" Saeko grinned.

Caitlin put her hand around the ninja's shoulders and her voice grew colder, her eyes narrowed "I'm sure under your leadership the Eagles will win again, right?"

Saeko was actually impressed "Of course, I do everything at one hundred percent."

"Sweet!"

The trio talked about quidditch, a discussion Graham eagerly joined when he arrived.

The next to arrive were Ashley and Peter. The girl was more exuberant than usual, a clear contrast to Peter who just sullenly waved.

"Who kicked your puppy?" Graham asked his friend.

Peter just shrugged and sat down. Ashley just rolled her eyes "He's been this way most of the summer. Don't know why, we have met some new cool friends."

"Yeah, awesome. Also you might not know it since she has her uniform on but is, hmm who did she put it, ah, punk-rockin it now" Peter explained.

"I don't know what that means" Saeko ventured.

"Don't ask, you'll see. Just wait when she dyes her hair, now she doesn't have a mum around to put a stop to it" the boy warned.

Ashley huffed "Even Jeff says I would've looked great with pink hair."

"Who's Jeff?" Caitlin asked eagerly.

"Her boyfriend" was Peter's brooding reply.

"Ooooh" the group chorused and nodded in realization.

The small brunette smiled widely and nodded. She immediately started talking about her new muggle boyfriend she had met that summer.

Seeing Peter grow from annoyed to pissed Saeko thought about being a good friend and change the topic. When it was appropriate she said chipperly "Hey, did you hear that Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts this year?"

The change was successful and everybody began discussing the fabled Boy-Who-Lived. Saeko smiled in satisfaction but resolved to talk about his Jeff at length when they retired to their rooms. And with Peter as well, maybe now he will finally realize he likes his childhood friend. The Uchiha was not a huge romantic but she was sure those two would get together in the end.

"Which House he will get sorted into?" Daniel mused as the group still talked about Potter.

Helena whipped up her betting book.

Saeko wasn't really interested in speculations, she already had some information on the boy and the rest she would find out shortly, her mission demanded it.

Plus she just had a feeling Potter would somehow get involved with that parcour Dumbledore cooked up to protect the Stone. When the Headmaster informed her about it Saeko had to keep her Uchiha face but otherwise she would've pursed her lips in annoyance - housing a treasure in a castle full of children and teenagers was not the wisest of ideas. Especially it was meant to be bait. While the real deal was safe under the _Fidelius_ the students could still get caught up with the thief. And they would, Saeko would bet on it.

But hey, not really her concern as long as her charge stays out of it.

Saeko sighed, The-Boy-Who-Lived will definitely be involved, Naruto called it the 'main character effect'. True, he was talking about himself and his propensity for trouble no matter the rank of the mission, but it could be applied, especially with a silly title like that. The-Boy-Who-Lived was practically a dare.

And someone would accept sooner or later.

* * *

><p><strong>Gryffindor Tower<strong>

"I hate being a clone" Saeko's Kage Bushin (_Saeko_) grumbled as she was stuck on the ceiling before the entrance to the Gryffindors Common Room, waiting for a scrawny eleven-year-old.

Harry Potter and his red-headed pal finally climbed out of the portrait and made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. _Saeko_ noiselessly followed in the shadows up on the walls, thanking Kami it was Sunday already. Next week the boss will be sending a summon to tail Potter instead.

"_Ok, what do we have so far" Saeko _ran through the mental list of friends and enemies she compiled for the shy little boy during the week, _"Potter is friends with Weasley, which means adding the twins and the insufferable Gryffindor prefect. Granger seemed eager to get their attention – mostly due to being not able to bond with the girls, she__'s clean. __Otherwise there is not much bonding with his dorm mates, only Longbottom has potential."_

"_On the other hand Potter struck some kind of rivalry with the Heir Malfoy - he's a little prat but he clearly didn't get any harmful instructions from his father. Yet. She would need to monitor that. Oh and she would need to ask what is the deal with Snape."_

"_Other professors seem impartial, McGonagall has a soft spot but it won't interfere with his treatment. Quirrell is funky, but Boss already noted that."_

"_Hagrid is on the friend's list as well. I was told the half-giant was friends with Harry's parents. He's clean as well. Let's just hope Hagrid's pets won't eat him."_

As Potter ate his breakfast (beans on toast, ugh) _Saeko_ surveyed the Great Hall. The-Boy-Who-Lived was still a novelty and his many fans still stole a look at him here and there. Actually respectful fans, just staring at him, that was a welcome novelty as well.

_Saeko_ was getting bored. This is exactly the reason why she specialized in fire jutsu, no scout missions. If your mission was to blow someone up into smithereens there was no need for subtlety and waiting around. She _could_ of course, but she preferred making an impression.

Only a few hours and she could report to the Boss so in turn she could meet up with the Headmaster. _Saeko_ suppressed a groan "_Come on Potter, do something funny."_

Her prayers went unanswered.

X

**At the same time**

Saeko felt her clone's chakra and her eyes traveled to Harry Potter. The boy exceeded her expectations, she was half-dreading he would be the second coming of Naruto. This specimen was much, much, much calmer. Thank Kami!

She had already asked Skygge to be the more permanent guard and spy. She was perfect, excellent at blending in the shadows and the most patient being the Uchiha has ever encountered. Skygge and some of the other smaller ravens had agreed to rotate shifts, they didn't even grumble much.

When the ninja returned her attention to breakfast she found Caitlin glaring at an older year. The red-head noticed "I still can't believe that cow was made prefect."

Ashley rolled her eyes "So you said already. You don't like your roomie's BFF, she stole your shirt and she reads Twilight. We hate her too as any good friend should. What **I** can't believe is Quirrell for DADA."

"Yeah, me too" Daniel chimed in, "We had all those ball-busters and now this loser. How can a bumbling fool teach us such an important subject!"

Helena tapped her chin in thought "When he taught Muggle Studies last year he was ok, he didn't stutter for one. I wonder what made him change subjects. And his behavior I guess."

"Why should I care if he encountered some sort of trauma, he's a teacher – he either teaches or he's out" Daniel said resolutely.

"Harsh" Graham commented, he rather liked the teacher last year. Well, not now obviously.

Paddy shrugged "But true. I'd rather have a competent teacher. Pity Deirdre had to leave."

Saeko nodded vigorously "She was definitely better in all aspects."

"Especially in the looks department" Graham murmured.

"Amen" Paddy said and Saeko nodded with a smirk.

"Pigs" Ashley summed it up.

The pigs in question shrugged unashamedly.

With their breakfast eaten, the majority of the group made their way back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Saeko split up with her friends just atop the stairs and went to meet Flitwick. She had already met with Madame Hooch the day before yesterday but she still wanted to go over some details about her new position as Quidditch Captain. And, most importantly, to get her password for the prefect's bathroom.

"Saeko!" a voice made her stop.

The ninja turned and smiled warmly at her fellow beater "Hey Jared. I was just going to Flitwick about the team."

"Oh. I won't keep you then, I just wanted to ask if you already decided when to hold trials"

The Uchiha paused "I wanted to ask the Team about their schedule and some other things once everyone got used to school again. I have a meeting with Dumbledore this evening about a personal matter but I have no idea how long that will take. But still, could you and the guys wait for me in the Common Room later this evening?"

"Sure, sounds good" Jared nodded, "I'll tell them."

Saeko smiled "Dōmo."

"Dōitashimashite" the Brit proclaimed proudly.

The ninja clapped "Very good!"

Jared grinned "See you this evening then."

The two beaters waved in goodbye and went their separate ways. Saeko closed the distance to the Head of House' office and knocked with a smile. She actually liked going to this office – Flitwick was pleasant company, even when she tried to mooch new spells, and he served surprisingly good tea. Sometimes even cookies.

"Come in Miss Uchiha. Tea?"

"Oh yes please."


	55. 4- 55 The Joys of Captaincy

**AN: I´m back! I just passed one of the two final exams so I should be finishing university soon. So to celebrate I present you with a chapter!**

**AN2: I know you don´t really care but... Yahooooooooo! Yay me!**

* * *

><p><strong>*The Joys of Captaincy*<strong>

**Quidditch Pitch**

"Wow, what a turnout" Wayne commented.

"Yeah, want to tell us something Captain?" Rory nodded.

Saeko looked over the crowd. The boys were right, it looked half of her House was out there. And the rest was reading in the stands. "_There goes any hope for secrecy_" she sighed. She turned to her Team "As you know I decided to keep the winning Team. The problem is that next year I could be the only one left in this team – Frost is graduating and the rest of you are sixth-years."

"Scouting for reserves and potential teammates for next season?" James asked, "You could've warned us at the meeting."

The Uchiha rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly "Sorry about that, it was a rather spur of the moment decision."

"The notice hang on the board in the Tower for three days you know" Frost shrugged.

Jared nodded "Yeah. I think this is everyone, we should start."

Saeko thought so as well and faced the crowd. As soon as it quieted down she launched into her speech, stressing the fact that only a chaser was needed at the moment. The crowd didn't seem to protest, they already knew it was the case and they did want to keep winning.

The chasers went first. The sharingan user made them run a lap around the field and then fly over the same path. That feat alone made the number of hopefuls drop in half. Only the serious contenders were made to do the usual chaser exercises. Then it was a matter of compatibility with Rory and Wayne.

Finally Cameron Young was selected, another sixth-year to Saeko's dismay. She knew Cameron, he was best friends with her current chasers and worked with them seamlessly even on the field.

Much to Saeko's satisfaction Caitlin and a third–year named Roger Davies were closely behind. The scarred teen made them stay behind as she dismissed the others. The duo perked up and sat down by the Team as Saeko turned her gaze on the aspiring keepers.

It took the whole morning but Saeko finally declared the trials to be over. The crowd began to dissipate and the ninja lied down on the grass. The Team looked at each other and finally Frost ventured "Forgetting something?"

Saeko groaned and sat up "Cameron, congratulations and welcome. You know us and we know you, we can make nice during practice." Turing her attention to the younger-years she said seriously "Now you three, present yourself."

Caitlin was taken aback at her friend's attitude but went first "Caitlin O'Shea, fourth-year, aspiring chaser."

"Roger Davies, third-year. I play chaser as well."

"Cho Chang. Second year, seeker" the petite asian girl went last.

Saeko nodded "Good. Now I selected you three to be my reserve players. Caitlin, Roger, you two are very good and I can picture you in my team next year. Cho, you have potential. That said, you all being here doesn't guarantee a spot in the Team for next season, I will still be holding trials. Though I will make a work-out schedule for you three so next year you may excel and help bring the Eagles to victory. At times I will require you attend our regular training. It will be hard work, you in?"

"Yes" were the slightly unsure replies.

"Excellent," the ninja smirked darkly, "I like the idea of having three ready-made players next year. I can only hope our housemates shape up to fill the remaining positions."

The trio stood up straighter at the praise. Saeko nodded in satisfaction and stood up "I will contact you all with further details, now I'm starving. Let's go."

As the ninja skipped happily towards the Castle Caitlin whispered to Frost "She always like that with you?"

The seeker shrugged "When she is hungry. Plus some of those whiny brats went on my nerves as well. I mean, if you can't fly, why bother trying out for the team."

"Hm, Saeko does hate incompetence and stupidity" the red-head commented.

"You coming or what!" was Saeko's irate shout.

Caitlin and Frost just looked at each other, chuckled and sped up.

* * *

><p><strong>Library<strong>

"Thank you so much" Saeko said with her most charming smile to the very lovely Hufflepuff who just gave her a recommendation for a book that would make Runes homework go much faster. The older-year blushed.

The kunoichi took the book in question and made her way to her favorite study table, a smirk playing on her lips. Lauren who was waiting for her rolled her eyes "What's with you and older Puffs?"

Saeko grinned "Don't insult me, I admire beauty no matter the House."

Lauren shook her head with a smile "I can only hope us doing Runes homework together doesn't sully my reputation."

"You have a reputation?" the brunette asked innocently.

"Let's just do the work Uchiha" Lauren grinned.

The ninja obliged and opened her books "Why aren't you doing this with Isolde anyway?"

"She said she's not in the mood, we did get quite a bit of time to do the translations" Lauren shrugged, "plus you are more helpful than she."

"I'm honored to be your second choice" Saeko mocked.

Lauren smirked "Less chatting, more translating."

The duo spent the next hour battling their newest Runes assignment. They made a decent dent in their homework but it wasn't a long-term work for nothing. Finally they called it quits.

"Sooo, how were the holidays?" Saeko asked.

The Snake shrugged "Fun as always. Aunt and Uncle tried to marry me off but unfortunately for them they don't have the authority, being only from a cadet branch, my guardians or not."

Saeko was reminded about Helena, she would have to ask how her own arrangements went. But since the blonde didn't volunteer any information and was generally cheerful it was safe to assume her father took care of it. "That's good news" she said cautiously.

Lauren nodded "Indeed. Can't wait for the day I can boot them out."

"Aren't you a little bit worried they might try something?" the ninja's brow furrowed, "From all you said about them, they sure seem awfully eager to become the main branch."

The red-head sighed "Not right now. Long story short they would get nothing until I turn seventeen."

"How joyful," Saeko frowned, "you know, you could strike first."

"Let's not talk about that," Lauren shook her head, "How is being Captain?"

"I'm extremely popular, everyone adores me and worships the ground I walk on" Saeko paused dramatically, "Oh wait, they did that already."

Lauren rolled her eyes "Ass."

"It's quite hectic actually. And an organizational nightmare – I have to balance everyone's schedule and needs, which doesn't really matter since they all will whine anyway" the Uchiha confessed.

"Hm, I can imagine that" the Brit nodded.

"How is the newest batch of Slytherins?" Saeko changed the subject. She rather liked her new title but discussing it was getting old.

The Snake sighed "The Malfoy brat prances like he owns it all. His father has a lot of clout but if he continues like that he will be taught a subtle lesson. Other than that the usual. Newest Ravenclaws?"

"Meh, they earn points. But they are griping about a new Gryff, Granger, about being an insufferable know-it-all."

Lauren seemed rather amused "From a Raven that is rather grave."

The brunette chuckled and bowed.

* * *

><p><strong>Helena's Room<strong>

"At least make it epic" Saeko said as she lounged on a chair, smoking.

Helena paused and stepped aside the canvas she was painting on, to speak with her friend "Are you serious? I don't have that much imagination."

"I can even strike a pose," the Uchiha bargained, "maybe even fetch my sword."

"Tempting, but no. Now sit still!" the blonde painter ordered.

"Explain me, why am I doing this again?"

The pureblood shrugged as she mixed more paint "Because you love me. And why shouldn't you, I'm a great friend."

Saeko pouted "How cruel, getting my hopes up like that."

"I told you to sit still!"

"Why?" the ninja said petulantly, "you are not really painting me as I am now. Right?"

Helena smirked "No, but I could make a fair sum for a portrait of you lounging in a kimono."

"It's a yukata"

"Who cares, the hot new quidditch captain, casually dressed like this, I believe this calendar would make a killing"

"You think me hot? I knew I could get through to you"

"Cool your jets, as Caitlin would put it," the blonde rolled her eyes, "I prefer the male form."

"I could change your mind if you give me a chance"

"Nope"

Saeko sighed "I miss Yuuko."

The blonde looked up from her work in recognition "Should that be translated to 'I need to get laid'?"

"I could be affronted but yeah, that's pretty much it" the ninja confessed, "Don't look at me that way, I'm a hormonal teenager no matter how advanced I might be in other areas."

"Oh, which areas are those?"

"For example I know how to kill a person with a brush in twelve different ways"

"Good point"

The blonde painted on, humming a tone under her breath while Saeko blew out perfect smoke circles. Few moments later there was a knock on the door and Ashley entered "Still doing art?"

"Yep"

Ash sat down on Helena's bed "Your junior players returned from whatever hell you sent them to. They are currently half-passed out on the floor downstairs."

Saeko laughed in glee "Fantastic! Did they say something?"

"Just unintelligible moans that in Caitlin's case might've been insults" Ash said with a shrug in feigned nonchalance, "I don't think they are used to working out."

"Ah" the Uchiha nodded with a huge grin. "_I suppose having taking care of a genin team for a little while did make me an evil bitch. Ah, the wonders of absolute power."_

Helena put down her brush "I need a break anyway, you go attend them."

"Yes my lady" Saeko said with a mild bow and stood up. She contemplated changing for a bit but then showing up bare-footed, half-dressed, smoking and so obviously chilling out while her three Juniors were exercising would be so sweet. Plus she just intended to dismiss them anyway. "I'll be right back."

Saeko calmly made her way to the Common Room, casually replying to greetings. "Have you seen my minions?" she asked a vaguely familiar girl near the bottom of the stairs.

The girl pointed at the area near the entrance while trying to be subtle about her ogling. Saeko thanked her. A few more steps into the room and she too could spot three sweaty figures collapsed on a carpet near the empty fireplace. "Good work-out?"

Three simultaneous groans were her only answer.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it" Saeko said in a patronizing manner, "At first the rest had problems as well. But this is precisely why we are winners. Now, I suggest you clean up and get some rest, we can't have you burning out, can we?"

"You. are. evil." Caitlin managed to choke out.

The Uchiha giggled coyly "Oh, stop it, you're making me blush."

"The devil incarnate" the Irish girl breathed out as she slowly pulled herself in a sitting position.

Saeko just laughed and with a wave she walked back towards the stairs. She stopped when she noticed the former Captain watching the scene along with the majority of the Ravens. Jamie held up her hand for a high-five. The kunoichi slapped the hand with a wink and slowly climbed the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

Saeko put an errand strand of her unbound, still drying hair behind her ear so she so she could concentrate better on her cards.

"Here she goes again," Graham stage-whispered, "taunting us with wet hair, reminding us of the luxurious bathroom we don't have access to."

"Jealousy is not pretty" the ninja replied cheerily, "Stalking too for that matter."

Graham shrugged "I really wanted to know where it is."

Helena frowned "You followed Saeko?"

"Hey, it was Paddy's idea!" the boy defended himself.

All eyes turned to Patrick. "Thanks pal" the Irishman glared at his best friend.

"It didn't work anyway, Saeko just vanished!" Graham said in mild awe.

The Uchiha smirked "Of course I did, I prefer bathing alone with the exception of beautiful willing women, which you two definitely aren't."

Ashley looked at the two boys "Nope, they really aren't."

"Hey, I might not be a beautiful woman but I'm definitely a prime specimen of handsome man" Graham announced and puffed his chest.

Everybody looked at each other and they chorused "Naaaah!"

Helena chuckled "Maybe your supposed handsomness can get you the prefect badge, then you could get into the bathroom with little trouble."

"That's a plan!" Graham exclaimed.

Daniel hummed "Being prefect would be handy. Who do you think will be appointed?"

"It usually is someone who commands respect in his year and House as a whole and good enough with his studies so he or she can afford a policing part-time job" the Grey heiress mused out loud, "So not my roomie and her posse."

"Because we pretty much ignore them?" Peter arched his eyebrows.

"Because we pretty much ignore them"

"Well, it's not going be me," Saeko took herself out of the running, "I got enough to do with the quidditch team. Besides I couldn't be bothered. Plus I don't need it for my résumé."

The group briefly discussed the potential prefects before delving into an argument over another win on Peter's part.

When the situation was diffused enough the topic was quite forcefully changed to the new teacher for muggle studies.

The poker game already over and the discussion dwindling, the group slowly broke up and went to their rooms. Ashley and Saeko did as well.

"I'm going to the non-luxurious bathroom to wash up. If you don't mind I would go to sleep after" the small brunette informed her roommate.

Saeko hummed "I'm not sleepy yet. I'll go for a run then."

"You can leave the light, I don't want to kick you out"

"It's alright, Hogwarts by night is quite amazing"

Ashley shrugged "As you wish."

As soon as the Brit was out of the door a small grayish raven flew from the shadows along the ceiling. Saeko smiled in greeting and unsealed some raw meat she kept as a treat for her summons. "Anything interesting?" she asked.

"No" said the feminine voice of the raven.

Saeko chuckled "Talkative as always. The whole report then."

While the ninja changed into something more appropriate for a midnight stroll when those were forbidden, Skygge summed up Potter's last three days.

"Riveting" the scarred jounin said sarcastically, "But thank you, I know this is not the most glorious assignment."

The raven did a motion that could be considered a shrug "It is necessary for the mission."

"That it is" Saeko agreed, "thank you." Skygge nodded, finished her meal and returned home in a wisp of smoke.

Saeko finished taping her shuriken pouch onto her thigh. It was empty as always in Hogwarts but still she felt naked without it. She waved to her returning roommate and lightly jogged to the Ravenclaw Common Room and then out to the castle proper.

The ninja wasn't kidding when she said Hogwarts was beautiful by night. Sure, during the day it was as well, especially in those areas the students seldom set foot in, but in the darkness it was ethereal. Pity the snoring portraits ruined that atmosphere.

Half an hour later Saeko found herself somewhere on the second floor, near the transfiguration classroom. What made her stop was the slight noise up ahead. The ninja was sure it wasn't Mrs Norris nor her master but still she leapt up and stuck to the archway over the mosaic windows, where the darkness was thickest.

It turned out to be a prefect making rounds. A strawberry blonde Gryffindor prefect to be precise. What was peculiar was the fact the girl was alone.

Feeling social all of the sudden Saeko jumped onto the next archway and then slithered behind the corner where she could descend to the floor unnoticed. Just when the prefect turned the corner as well she asked "Need a partner?"

The blonde shrieked and jumped up in fright. When she calmed down she put on her most stern expression "It's after curfew, you should be in bed."

Saeko swallowed the myriad of phrases laced with innuendo she could reply with and decided on "It's early still. And I'm just jogging."

"Be as it may miss Uchiha you still need to return to your Common Room. Be glad I'm not docking points" the blonde replied.

"Too crowded" Saeko shrugged, "Speaking of crowds, I was under the impression the prefects made rounds in pairs."

The Gryffindor sighed "Usually yes. My partner implored me to take this alone just this once and since he looked positively pathetic begging on his knees I agreed."

Saeko hummed "Mighty nice of ya."

"Indeed. Now, miss Uchiha, please go back to the Ravenclaw Common Room"

"If I begged on my knees as well would you consider letting me stay?" the ninja said while batting her eyelashes, "I could make rounds with you. Nobody would spook you then."

The Gryff huffed "I was only spooked because you were stealthy as a thief."

"Please" Saeko imploringly, "I'll be good. Besides, Flitwick deemed me responsible enough to entrust six people in my care so staying a bit late and helping a prefect isn't much of a stretch.

"The quidditch team doesn't count" the blonde said but still seemed mollified.

The Konoha nin smiled "Come on. I'm Saeko Uchiha and I'll be your partner for tonight."

"Alright" was the exasperated response, "I guess I could use the company."

Saeko grinned "Yatta!"

The Gryff rolled her eyes "Come on then_ partner_, I need to check the first floor as well."

The Uchiha saluted and fell in step with the blonde "So, _aibō_, who are you?"

"Evelyn" the girl said after her laughter calmed down.

"Saeko"


	56. 4- 56 Meetings

***Meetings***

"Are you dating again?"

Saeko looked up from her letters and arched her eyebrow at her roommate "Why?"

"You are sneaking out at night again" Ashley explained her reasoning.

"Hm" the Uchiha began, "I did recently make friends with a lovely sixth-year." _But I do wish it was her that kept me at night._

_***Flashback***_

As Potter, Weasley and Granger bickered, the ninja patiently waited on a nearby ceiling beam. Saeko had to repress a chuckle when the Fat Lady got tired of it as well and simply left, thus preventing any take backs. Finally the trio began moving, only to trip up on another Gryffindor.

"_Ugh, move it"_ Saeko thought as the group started talking again, this time with Longbottom. _"Kami, I hope the brats do get to have that duel, at least that would be entertaining."_

When the Uchiha first heard about that duel with Malfoy she considered busting it but the parameters of her mission said to not interfere except for danger and that arrogant blond was not a danger to anything except himself.

At last the Gryffindor first-years arrived to the Trophy Room, their arguments never pausing.

Then they all jerked at a new sound. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner" Filch nearly purred in his insipid voice.

The first-years panicked and madly scrambled for the doors. _"Point to Malfoy"_ thought the Uchiha as she followed her charge.

One crash into a suit of armor and a confrontation with the resident pranking poltergeist the foursome unerringly made their way to the most dangerous part of the Castle, the forbidden corridor. Saeko had to shake her head when the doors opened with a simple _Alohomora_, _"Seriously? Is this some Dumbledore__'__s introduction to destiny? I sure hope ninja wouldn__'t so foolishly be led by some old words, prophecy or not."_

Saeko snuck into the off-bounds room with the group and while they stayed staring at the door the kunoichi eyed the monstrous Cerberus dog. She was seriously reconsidering her non-interfering policy at the sight of the salivating creature.

Fortunately the Uchiha didn't have to do anything, the trio realized where they were and ran like hell. Saeko quickly formed a Kage Bushin who immediately took off after the traumatized Gryffindors.

Saeko sighed and began singing a popular Konoha lullaby. The black dog whined contentedly and all three of his heads rested on his paws as he slowly fell asleep.

"Sweet dreams" said the raven summoner and quietly left the room.

The ninja made her way to the Ravenclaw Tower, confident anymore shenanigans would not happen. At least with Potter. She briefly wondered what her latest discovery, aka Evelyn, was doing.

Halfway up she had a sudden influx of memories, she sighed "They know about the trapdoor, oh joy."

_***Flashback***_

"A sixth-year, hm?" Ashley smiled appreciatively, "Which one is she?"

Saeko put down her letters and indulged her friend's thirst for gossip while the rest of the group chimed in every so often. Soon after when the owls arrived everybody's eyes were drawn to a rather large package which was carried by six owls.

The Uchiha shot a meaningful glance at her quidditch team, Potter's broom had arrived. She had already received the news of the youngest seeker in a century from Skygge, the summon she had tailing the Boy-Who-Lived, news she promptly passed onto her team.

Skygge had observed the whole flying lessons incident and said Potter was quite good, especially good dives. But the ninja also needed to see for herself and resolved to use a Kage Bushin further down the line. Was McGonagall desperate for the win or was Potter a natural – Saeko needed to answer that question, even if sneaking was necessary. But hey, she was a ninja, spying was as common as breathing.

Only time will tell, for now Skygge and the rest of the ravens will keep an eye on the competition.

Saeko followed Potter leaving Great Hall with a barely concealed grin on his face, closely followed by Granger and Malfoy. The ninja sensed this would become a pattern. Flitwick too foresaw the confrontation and resolved it swiftly. Then the professor looked at the quidditch captain of his House and made a come with me motion. Saeko nearly chuckled, now everybody's a spy.

The Uchiha nodded to the Charms master and collected her things.

"Leaving already? You didn't finish breakfast" Ashley said a bit concerned.

"Flitwick wants to speak with me. No doubt about Potter and his broom"

"Broom? What do you mean?" Caitlin immediately latched onto the information.

The kunoichi shrugged, spreading the info could put a bit more pressure on the eleven year-old "I mean Hogwarts has The-Seeker-Who-Lived in its walls."

"Seeker? A firstie?" Graham frowned.

"Yup"

Saeko left, leaving behind a heated discussion about the new addition to the Gryffindor quidditch team. It was clear it wouldn't take long for the news to spread. Saeko smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Ashley and Saeko<strong>**'****s Room**

"So, how is this one?" the ninja asked and tuned from her mirror.

Ashley looked up from her guitar and just rolled her eyes. On the other hand Helena didn't bother putting her book down when she said "Very fetching."

"Come on" Saeko chided.

The smaller brunette obliged with a sigh "Looks complicated, but it's quite good. What's it called?"

"The Eldredge knot"

"I liked the Trinity one better" Ash shared.

Helena finally decided to pay attention. She looked at Saeko's tie and scoffed "Why are you doing this?"

"Evelyn taught me. And it looks really cool" was the ninja's reply.

"Really" the blonde said in deadpan.

Saeko winked "Yep."

"Isn't it enough you walk around Hogwarts with your uniform coat only on your shoulders, leaving it billowing behind you along with your hair" Helena arched her eyebrows.

"I have been told I look more than awesome" the kunoichi smirked.

"By this Evelyn?" Ash asked.

The Uchiha shrugged "No, by Alessa."

"Who is Alessa?"

"The pretty Ravenclaw two years above us" Saeko explained.

Both Brits blinked dumbly. Ash shook her head "Wow, I knew you were rather vain but this takes the cake."

"Wow, I knew you were a bit of a pig but that takes the cake" Helena trumped her friend, "How many women are you dating?"

"Not one" Saeko said, confused, "Alessa might be flirting with me but I assure you I'm not with her. I might be interested in Evelyn but I'm not interested in dating. At all. I like my space and no one to nag me."

Helena rubbed her forehead "You sound like a married forty year-old man."

"Or a Nara" Saeko mumbled.

"Who?" Ashley asked.

"Nevermind."

Before Helena could say more Ashley clapped her hands together "Ok, new topic! Have you seen the new Head Girl? Creepy huh?"

"Becker? Yes, I agree. She's so controlled, icy and extremely polite" the blonde nodded.

"I could picture her as a successful serial killer" Saeko mused.

Ash laughed "Yeah, I can totally see that. I would peg her as a psychotic axe wielder."

The trio amused themselves by devising the most horrible murders for the Head Girl to perform on her innocent victims. It was rather morbid but living with the ninja educated them in black humor. Well, more than the average Brit.

Suddenly their discussion was interrupted by an excited knock on the door. When prompted to enter Caitlin stuck her head in "Come to the Common Room! Everybody's playing a muggle game called Twister, you gotta see that!"

Ashley evidently recognized the game and excitedly jumped up "We are going. Who is playing? This has the potential to be hilarious, I mean sedentary wizards writhing above a colorful plastic sheet. I can't wait!"

"So it is an agility game?" the ninja asked.

"Yep"

"Wait for me!" Saeko said with a grin and followed her roommate.

Helena hummed and looked in thought at her book. Finally she stood up and said out loud "Wizards falling on their asses? Sounds like quality entertainment." She whipped out her black betting book "Don't start without me!"

* * *

><p><strong>History of Magic Classroom<strong>

While professor Binns droned on and on about goblins those who resisted his soporific charms were doing the Transfiguration homework.

Saeko was halfway done but couldn't really concentrate. Instead she pulled out a notebook she had for quidditch ideas – strategies, training and so on. She even had notes for the speech for their first match of the season. She turned it to the pages that contained information on her opponents. Her spies had been most diligent.

Pity the first match would be played the first week of November for a change since Halloween fell onto a Saturday. Saeko was rather looking forward to it.

The real deal aside, the Uchiha was already proud of her team, her reserves included. Caitlin and Roger were working well together, it was only the matter of finding a third. Cho was shaping up as well – Saeko would only need to help her get rid of some of her fear, then she will be unstoppable.

Suddenly the ninja felt something approaching. She immediately swayed to the side to avoid the object and turned to see the source. Graham jumped up in fright at the look he was given "It's just a paper plane."

"Sorry," Saeko apologized and smiled to reassure her friend, "you know my paranoia."

"Yeah" Graham smiled tightly as well, "I should be grateful that glare wasn't followed by a knife."

Saeko was horrified "I wouldn't."

Graham was taken aback "I meant it as a joke. You mean you have a knife on you?"

"Well, yes" the Uchiha confessed, "you don't? That's just common sense. And it's very handy."

"Hm, I'll think about it"

The brunette smirked "At least I know what to give you for Christmas."

"I want a cool one then" the boy grinned. The he nodded toward the paper plane "Open that up."

Saeko did and immediately understood her friend's grin – it was a page taken from an older issue of Playwizard. The ninja looked at it in appreciation.

"Good, heh?"

"Indeed, but why would you rip a page and crumple it so?"

Graham sighed theatrically "Eddy and I were fighting over it and we ripped up the magazine in the process. Such a loss."

"Will you two shut up" Helena hissed.

"Don't tell me you are actually listening to Binns" Graham said in disbelief.

Saeko nodded "Plus we are being quiet."

"But you could be silent" the blonde countered.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" said the boy in his usual charming way.

Helena shrugged "Just a bad day. And you two swapping half-nude pictures doesn't help."

"It's that Arithmancy assignment isn't it?" The boy asked knowingly.

The blonde unconvincingly scoffed "No."

"You know, if…" Graham started but was interrupted by a loud noise.

"Saved by the bell" Helena murmured, quickly collected her things and left. Saeko and Graham just looked at each other and shrugged.

Daniel who noticed the blonde's flight asked "Was it the Arithmancy assignment?"

"Yep"  
>"I'm not going to ask" Saeko waved them off, "You go do your super weird homework and I shall go to the kitchens, I have a craving for miso soup."<p>

Graham sighed and nodded while Daniel perked up "Oooh, I'm so in the mood for pop-corn! Do you think they could make me some?"

"Let's find out" the Uchiha smirked.

As the duo walked the bespectacled boy shared the woes of Arithmancy without being prompted. Saeko wasn't that much interested but nodded at the appropriate places. What she found more interesting was the fact that the first-year Gryffindors happened to just finish Herbology and were streaming up the stairs.

Seeing this as an opportunity to actually meet the Boy she was protecting she quickly scanned the eleven year-old crowd. Daniel noticed and with a look of comprehension he tugged his friend's sleeve in the appropriate direction.

"_He__'s short"_ was the kunoichi's first reaction. On the outside she came face to face with the Gryffindor trio. Weasley was busy arguing with the bushy-haired girl and did not notice the Uchiha and bumped into her.

"I'm so sorry!" the red-head exclaimed.

Saeko waved away his apology "No matter, you were immersed in an important discussion, I trust." Weasley blushed while Granger looked she was itching to kick her friend. The raven summoner turned to the black haired boy "Ah, mister Potter, good afternoon. I hear we will be meeting at the quidditch pitch later this season."

"Ah, um, yes" was the disappointing reply.

"Excellent" the ninja said in satisfaction and a shallow bow of goodbye, "until we meet again."

Harry nodded tad timidly "Yes. Hm, who are you?"

Saeko blinked twice, then smiled "My apologies! I'm Uchiha Saeko."

"The Ravenclaw quidditch Captain" Ron helped explain.

"Oh. Nice to meet you" Harry smiled.

The Uchiha smiled as well "And you as well. Mr Weasley, miss Granger."

"You know us?" the sixth Weasley said in shock.

"Oh yes. Mister Potter has a rather long moniker, miss Granger is a topic among the first-year Ravens and you mister Weasley have a rather vast web of connections in this school."

Ron nodded sullenly, evidently he resented being known only because of his brothers.

"Well, I bid you goodbye" Saeko said with another bow and rejoined Daniel to their way to the basement.

Daniel grinned "Striking fear in your opponents?"

"Just getting to know the competition."

"And?"

"Fear not, Ravenclaw will be victorious once more."

"You speak as if we ride into battle"

"We aren't?"


	57. 4- 57 Ninja Needed

***Ninja Needed***

**Ravenclaw Tower**

"Finally Halloween! Did I mention I love this holiday?" Ashley practically bounced on her bed.

Saeko chuckled "Every year since I've known you."

"I really cannot see the appeal. Samhain is the day when magic is strongest, I understand that, but Halloween?" Helena shrugged.

Seeing as it was indeed an argument they had every year Ashley just grinned "Like you won't find use for all that candy."

"Hm, I guess Halloween isn't that bad" the blonde trailed out, her hands raised in surrender.

"Do you think the ghosts will perform something again? Last year was most entertaining" the Uchiha asked almost eagerly, "I especially liked Sir Nicholas and his tusk-teeth accident reenactment."

Both Brits chuckled. Ash nodded with a grin "Yeah, that was really funny."

"But alas I don't think we will get an encore" Helena said sadly.

"Pity"

The smaller brunette stood up "Yeah. We should go, it's almost dinnertime. Peter wants to go in early. Maybe there will be some snacks already."

"I guess it doesn't matter if we wait here or there" Saeko shrugged, bound her heir into a high pony-tail and stood up as well.

Helena looked the kunoichi over "Trying something new?"

"Huh?"

"The hair"

"Oh, no, I just couldn't be bothered. It's not like I will need to fight or anything. It's just dinner and some down-time" the ninja smiled.

Ash smiled "True. Let's go!"

The trio made their way downstairs where they met the rest of the group with the exception of Caitlin. It was decided to wait for the red-head. The time was spent, according to Helena, on useless discussion about masks and other things that were iconic for the muggle holiday.

Their numbers full the very loud party exited the Common Room and descended the stairs that led to the Great Hall. They were not the only ones who decided to begin their festivities early as the Hall was already fairly populated.

As the group passed the door Saeko spied a familiar green-tied trio "Well it isn't Soldy, Lauri and Lexie!"

"Lauri? It that what you call me behind my back?" Lauren Lewis asked with a pout.

Isolde frowned "I did indeed expect better from the supposed House of the Witted. But since miss Uchiha insists on calling me Soldy, all hope is lost."

"I rather like Lexie" Alexia chuckled at her peeved friend.

Saeko bowed with a smirk "I aim to please."

"So we heard" Isolde rolled her eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" the brunette asked, confused.

Lauren waved it off "Nevermind. But still, Lauri?"

"Perhaps Ren?" Saeko suggested, "Yes, I like that, sounds very Japanese."

Isolde and Alexia smirked. The red-head shrugged "It does sound better. But if you ever use it I'll hang you from Astronomy Tower by your underwear."

"See, this is exactly why I like you" Saeko smirked. She spied her friends already at the table "Well, this has been fun but I need to go. Happy Samhain and bon appétit."

"Happy Samhain? That is soo not what we say" Lauren shook her head with a smile.

Saeko shrugged "Sorry for being a foreigner. Ta!"

With that the Uchiha got a nod of goodbye from the three Slytherins and they parted ways. Saeko went to the Ravenclaw table and sat beside Helena and Daniel.

"Chatting up three girls at once?" Graham said with a lewd smirk.

The kunoichi smiled and shook her head. Graham got a light smack on the back of his head, courtesy of Helena, for his joke. Suddenly Saeko was struck by a realization "Wait, is this how people see me? Some sort of womanizer?"

"Uuuh"

"Look the ghosts have arrived!" Ashley exclaimed and everybody turned her heads.

As the group began discussing the last year's show Saeko's question went unanswered. Which was an answer on its own. The Uchiha frowned and thought back since she could not really understand the why. Even when the Halloween feast begun and was in the earnest she just morosely played with the food.

"Lighten up, try the pumpkin pie" Daniel nudged the ninja.

Saeko made a face "That tasteless mush? No thanks."

"Suit yourself" the bespectacled teen shrugged, "And don't be grumpy, we were just joking."

Before Saeko could react professor Quirrell came running through the gates of the Great Hall. Once he reached the teacher's table he slumped against it and exclaimed in terror "Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know."

Then he sank to the floor in a dead faint.

Among the uproar Saeko looked at the Headmaster who looked her dead in the eyes and gave a slight nod.

The Uchiha was ready to go in pursuit, just waited for a moment it would be inconspicuous. Dumbledore called for order and when the prefects began organizing their Houses Saeko used the chaos to escape the Hall.

"_What I wouldn__'__t give for a Hyuuga right now. Or an Inuzuka"_ Saeko thought as she summoned a raven who had experience in tracking. That particular area of expertise wasn't common among avians but Sti was fairly good. Then again, not being on open fields made the task much harder.

Then Saeko felt a tug in one of her seals on her left arm _"Skygge? What the… Potter, shit!"_

The location now known the Uchiha ran along the ceiling at full speed. She was almost at the girl's bathroom of all things when she could smell the foul creature.

A scream reverberated through the surprisingly acoustic room. Granger, Saeko placed the voice. That would explain Potter and Weasley somewhat.

The boys were distracting the troll which seemed too confused to attack as of yet. Saeko knew it wouldn't last and quickly ran though the possible plans.

Finally she decided on not being seen, the reputation of easily killing a full-grown mountain troll would be most inconvenient and frankly annoying.

"_Fuuton: Kaze no Yaiba"_ was the jutsu of choice. The ridiculously over-powered wind blade penetrated the magically resistant hide and cleaved right through the creature.

The three first-years were sprayed by the troll's blood. They didn't even scream, too shocked, not really comprehending what just happened.

Saeko jumped onto the wall again and concealed herself in the shadows but still with full view of the bathroom.

"Get the Headmaster" the Uchiha quietly ordered Sti, "Quickly!"

She didn't need to be worried since the man in question came nearly running round the corner, flanked by McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell.

Saeko frowned at the sight of the DADA teacher. She had been ordered to leave him be and focus solely on Potter and her studies, but still she found him suspicious. She was apt in looking underneath the underneath after all. But orders were orders.

"Oh, my" McGonagall exclaimed and staggered, the sight _was_ pretty grisly.

The Gryffindor trio finally managed to get their wits about them when faced with the accusation of being the cause of the whole scene. The raven now sitting on Dumbledore's shoulder was proof enough of their innocence but for those who didn't know about the ninja a _Prior Incantato_ spell was performed on the trio's wands thus absolving them of any blame for the killing.

Finally all three Gryffindors were sent to the infirmary. Skygge took flight as well and inconspicuously followed suit. Saeko stayed behind, waiting to debrief the Headmaster.

The matter resolved and Filch called to clean up the blood, Dumbledore took off towards his office while the three professors remained beside the corpse.

"Lemon drops" the elder said to be let though into his office. Saeko followed.

X

"Where were you!" Ashley exclaimed when her roommate rejoined the festivities that were moved into the respective common rooms.

Saeko shrugged "I got lost on the road of life."

"What?"

The brunette smirked and went to get some food.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

"There is a great disturbance in the Force" Peter announced gravely.

Ashley nodded sagely. As Peter swung his wand and attracted a nearby book the brunette exclaimed "The Force is strong with this one!"

"Feel the Force Ash!" Peter urged his friend dramatically.

The brunette cast her own spell and caught her bag in mid-air "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with us all" Peter added and both erupted in giggles.

Saeko sat down beside Helena and asked her quietly as not to interrupt the show "What are they doing?"

"I'm not that sure but Caitlin said it has something to do with Star Wars" the blonde replied with a slight frown.

"Star Wars?"

Helena shrugged "I understand it is a movie."

"Ah" Saeko nodded, "What prompted it?"

"Today's _Accio _charm"

The Uchiha nodded again. The _Accio_ spell was most useful so it was one of the first Saeko learnt on her own. Seeing she had already mastered the spell she decided on reading her letters from Konoha.

"Hey, Saeko! Could we borrow those two swords of yours? Those on the wall?" Ashley asked with a most brilliant grin.

"Why?" the ninja trailed out cautiously.

"LIGHTSABERS!" both archeology enthusiasts exclaimed in unison.

Saeko blinked "Hm, I'm not sure what you mean but no. No swords. I won't be responsible for any injuries. If you really want swords you could always transfigure something."

"No way!" Peter shook his head vigorously, "I wouldn't put it past Deirdre to somehow learn of it and hunt me down."

"Just as well, no swords" Helena said with an approving nod.

The duo pouted but since Saeko was reading and not paying them any attention as were the others they shrugged and continued with their antics.

"Ugh, I can't believe it!" Helena made a face.

"Hm?" Saeko answered, still reading her mail. She had to suppress a smirk - Yuuko's letters were always very entertaining and full of gossip. And indecent.

The blonde nodded towards Ashley and Peter who somehow managed to expand their little drama group. Saeko hummed, not really interested "It seems this Star War is popular."

Helena didn't reply and she too returned to her reading. Only when Saeko smiled she looked up again "Good news?"

"Of sorts, a genin from a team I took care of during the summer was promoted. I knew Keita had potential. Pity about the other two though" Saeko shared.

"Playing teacher?" the blonde was surprised.

"Supervising" Saeko clarified.

The pureblood chuckled "Training for the Captain job?"

"Hah, indeed."

"I bet Caitlin & co are hating their guts"

"Whose?" the sharingan user asked in confusion.

"Of the man or woman who gave you that team to supervise" Helena elaborated.

Saeko grinned "I'll be sure to pass that to Sarutobi-sama. He will be pleased."

"You folk are a sadistic bunch, aren't you?" Helena teased.

Saeko winked "You don't know half of it."

Finished reading the Uchiha held the letter upright between her fingers and the paper obediently erupted in flames.

"Show off" was the blonde's comment.

The Uchiha shrugged, manipulating a ball of flame in one's palm was one of the most advanced katon exercises. Also the most fun one and definitely Saeko's favorite.

A few minutes later Saeko looked at the fireball and sighed, she really needed to find some new project, this was pretty pathetic. Practicing one's affinity was a must, especially for a ninja who liked to rely on her ninjutsu, but she needed more. Itachi was away so sparring was out of the question, the summons had nothing to teach her at the moment and magic… maybe she could mount an expedition to the library. Then again the search for something truly useful was always a long one.

She needed something to **do**.

"Helena darling, what about a duel?" Saeko asked, desperate in her boredom.

The blonde arched her eyebrows "What brought this about?"

"I'm bored" the ninja confessed.

"Don't you have some fancy rare books to read?" Helena shrugged.

Saeko shook her head "I need a new batch."

"Can't you just run it off?"

"I'd rather do something productive"

"Try knitting, I need a new scarf" Helena smirked.

The Uchiha rolled her eyes "Very funny."

"You could borrow one of my books" the blonde offered.

"Subarashii!" Saeko exclaimed and clapped her hands together like an excited child.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

Saeko sat among her Team in the front rows of one of the Ravenclaw quidditch stands, waiting for the match to start. She already knew what to expect from both of the teams but still, how they worked together and while under pressure was crucial.

The volume of the crowd was becoming louder and louder, the beginning of the match imminent. Saeko looked over her team, all their eyes were clear, focused and holding an analyzing expression. Excellent. She had made a speech previously as Jamie always made hers, on who to focus on and what to observe - she was glad her team had taken it to heart.

Everybody was excited about the first match of the season, plus Slytherin versus Gryffindor was always guaranteed to be eventful. And naturally the newest celebrity was to play seeker. Both students and professors were eager to see how The-Boy-Who-Lived would perform. The young Lion was under quite a bit of pressure. Saeko noticed he didn't eat at breakfast – that didn't bode well for the Lions but very well for the Eagles, provided he stayed nervous, they will meet on the pitch only in March after all.

"_And here they come ladies and gentlemen! The Slytherins!" _Lee Jordan, the new commentator, announced as seven green-clad players flew onto the field. He called all their names and the players landed in the half-crescent formation with Marcus Flint in front. They seemed pumped.

"_And now a big applause for the heroes of Gryffindor!"_

James chuckled "Heroes, huh?"

"Jordan is a Gryff himself, maybe he hopes this team will be enough to interrupt their losing streak" Frost smirked.

Saeko grinned "Let's see how those knights will shine when we stomp them in the mud."

The Team chuckled darkly and watched Wood and Flint shaking hands reluctantly before Madame Hooch.

"_And the quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too…"_

"JORDAN!"

"_Sorry professor"_

Rory smiled widely "It seems quidditch is going to be even more fun this year."

"Well, what did you expect from a friend of the Weasley twins" Cameron chimed in.

"Do you think McGonagall will monitor the commentary on all the matches?" Jared hummed.

Saeko laughed "You bet! If she didn't jokingly suggest the job when he was running his mouth in transfiguration he wouldn't have gone for it."

"_50 to 20 with Gryffindor in the lead! Keep it up folks!"_

All in all the two teams were evenly matched despite Gryffindor's slight advantage in the score. It was also an excellent entertainment.

Suddenly Potter and Higgs simultaneously dived in the same direction, sure signs the snitch has been spotted. The crowd went absolutely mad as they cheered for their respective seeker.

Nimbus 2000 was indeed the best broom on the market and Potter overtook Higgs. Before the bets could be collected Marcus Flint changed everything – the chaser deliberately crashed into Potter and the boy and his broom spun wildly away.

"**FOUL!**" the Gryffindor fans shouted in outrage among the cheers of the Snakes.

Among the confusion the snitch was lost again. Madame Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot for the Lions.

"_So, after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating…"_

"Jordan!"

"_I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"_

"Jordan, I'm warning you…"

The third-year sighed _"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor seeker, which could happen to anyone, I__'m sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor taken by Spinnet who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue to play, Gryffindor still in possession."_

Cameron laughed out-loud "Is is me or is our new commentator a bit biased?"

"A teensy bit" Wayne nodded.

"Can't wait to hear what he will have in store for us" Jared mused, well-aware of his and Saeko's brazen and aggressive style of play.

"Hey," Frost interjected, "isn't Potter acting weird?"

Indeed he was. At first sight it looked as if he lost control of his broom but that was not it. Saeko activated her sharingan to see any magical interferences. _Shit, someone is interfering with his broom. But who? They are obviously very powerful."_

As Potter wrestled with his bucking broom Saeko readied a fuuton jutsu that would allow her to catch the boy if he fell in a soft cushion of air. She trusted Skygge to find the source of Potter's predicament.

Saeko spied Granger in one of the stands on her left and frowned. The girl seemed to cause quite a stir while rather skillfully avoiding detection. The Uchiha's red eyes engraved all that happened on that stand into her brain for later analysis.

"Look, he's diving!" Frost exclaimed beside Saeko who was still looking away, intent on not missing a thing.

"Shit, did he just… swallow the snitch?" James said in shock.

The ninja finished cataloguing all responses in on the stand she was observing and her eyes returned to the pitch.

Since Potter didn't break any rules Gryffindor was proclaimed victorious. Saeko wasn't really interested any more, her mind was on the broom incident.

The team chattered excitedly about the game but Saeko abruptly stood up. "Partner?" Jared asked her.

"Meet me after dinner in the Common Room, we'll go over the match then, I need to go" the Uchiha announced and left.

"What got into her?"

"PMS?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I would really appreciate some feedback on this chapter since it involves canon... Pretty please :-)<strong>


	58. 4- 58 New Projects

**AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, feel free to make some more ;-)**

* * *

><p><strong>*New Projects*<strong>

Oh how Saeko loved being the hero, she truly did. All the looks of awe and appreciation, sometimes even thinly veiled jealousy just made her vain heart swell. Saeko knew her big ego was quite a flaw but hey, better than running around in spandex shouting about youth.

Long story short Ravenclaw kicked ass the day before on the quidditch pitch and everybody knew it.

The Puffs didn't have a chance, all that hard work the team put in training had been obvious – the Badges managed to score just one measly goal. Everybody worked together seamlessly, their effort validated by Frost who caught the snitch right in front of the new Puff seeker. They were really amazing. The whole Ravenclaw House, the sober part that is, walked tall and with a superior smirk.

Seeing the match had been later in the month than usual the Hogsmeade Sunday was right the day after. It was also the reason why the majority of the House of the Wise decided to stay indoors.

The Uchiha was one of the few who ventured to the small village. She too would rather stay back at the school but she promised Jamie she would come. Plus she didn't drink as much during the victory party as many of her peers.

"Saeko, over here!"

At the shout the kunoichi changed her course through the crowd at the Three Broomsticks. Soon enough the mass of people spat her near the table the platinum blonde sat. Saeko smiled genuinely at her friend "Hey, taichō."

"I'm not the captain anymore" Jamie smiled back.

Saeko winked "I know, I'm the new hero."

Jamie and the girl that sat next to her laughed. The older girl continued "True, true."

"So, you wanted me to meet someone, this lovely creature next to you perhaps?" the ninja said charmingly to the dark blonde in front of her.

The girl in question chuckled. Jamie beamed "Indeed, Saeko this is Chloe, Chloe this is Saeko."

"Nice to meet you" said the now named Chloe.

"The pleasure is mine" Saeko replied. After the two girls shook hands the Beater winked at Jamie.

The blonde blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. Saeko was quite pleased to see it since it was _her_ nervous tic "So, ahhh, Chloe is…"

"Her girlfriend" the darker blonde said in an amused voice. Jamie blushed harder.

Saeko grinned "I had an inkling. Good catch, both of you."

After that Saeko and Chloe immediately got to know each other, talking animatedly, while Jamie stayed silent, squirming in her place. Finally she calmed down when Chloe placed her hand on her thigh.

Saeko resisted the urge to squeal. The Uchiha do not squeal. Jamie was obviously very smitten and it suited her. Saeko felt a small twinge of jealousy, she had kinda hoped Jamie would approach her for at least a night. But seeing the platinum blonde so obviously happy was far more precious.

From their conversation Saeko didn't even feel the need to do a background check on the darker blonde. The Gryffindor seemed to be a good person and very much in love with the ex-chaser. It was very sweet. She also seemed alright in being closeted which was another point for her.

Finally Jamie clanked her glass on the table "Ok, enough about us! New topic!"

"But this topic is so delicious" the Uchiha smirked.

Chloe smiled fondly at her girlfriend "Sure. So what about you Saeko? Jamie told me plenty about you…"

"Oh, really?" Saeko interjected with a mock lewd smile.

"Oh, stop it" the darker blonde giggled, "I mean especially how you helped Jamie about Duncan and then Kessler. I meant to thank you about that."

Saeko smiled "It was my pleasure, I love to lure beautiful women to the ladies side."

"Don't joke about that" the chaser said sternly, "I'm really grateful. I would've missed on so much if you didn't talk to me."

The Uchiha beamed "No problem, just keep it in mind if you ever feel adventurous enough for a threesome."

"Pig" Jamie said good-naturedly. Saeko shrugged, her smile never leaving her lips.

Chloe smirked "I don't know Jamie, she is rather pretty."

"Chloe!"

Saeko laughed "Jamie, she is a keeper!"

The seventh year looked torn between agreeing with the statement and pretending to be outraged.

Chloe grinned and stood up "I'm going to get a refill. Do you want anything Saeko?"

"Could you ask Madame Rosmerta if she still has that lemonade of hers?" the ninja's eyes lit up, "If not then a butterbeer, thanks."

"Sure"

The darker blonde left with a smile. Saeko thought it was tad smug, but then again she _did_ manage to get the ninja to like her girlfriend.

"You look really happy" Saeko commented.

"I am" the ex-chaser smiled contentedly, "So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Yesterday I noticed you disappeared with that Alessa who was ogling you since the beginning of the year."

"That long? Hm, I can't believe I didn't notice" Saeko said breezily "that's kinda creepy."

Jamie gave her friend a 'duh' stare "Glad you realize."

"Just because you are in a relationship doesn't mean you are some kind of love guru now" the brunette smirked.

"Just saying" Jamie defended, "even you said she is tad creepy."

Saeko shrugged "It's not like I'm dating her, far from it."

The seventh year smirked "Just be careful. Hey, what about that Gryff prefect you were telling me about?"

"I know where you are going with this. She is lovely, very much so, but I'm not looking for a relationship."

Before Jamie could reply Chloe was back with the drinks "Here you go. Rosmerta even had your lemonade."

"Dōmo!"

"So, what are you talking about?" the darker blonde said as she took her cup of tea into her hands.

Saeko shot an amused glare to her ex-captain "Jamie is trying her hand at match-making."

"Really?" Chloe nearly glowed, "I do know a certain fifth-year that would be perfect for you! She is smart, very pretty, and she is interested in martial arts." The Gryffindor talked on and on, highlighting any and all positive traits of Saeko's supposed perfect mate.

Jamie smirked evilly.

Saeko looked around in panic for an escape route. One look at her friend deemed it impossible. She sighed in despair, she should've stayed in bed like the rest of Ravenclaw.

* * *

><p><strong>Headmaster<strong>**'s Office**

"Found anything interesting miss Uchiha? I hope it's not about professor Quirrell again" the man said after the usual greetings and small talk.

Saeko resisted the urge to sigh, she_ didn't_ have anything definitive about Quirrell but the man still rubbed her the wrong way and she resented the fact she was forbidden to investigate it "No, sir, it's about Nicholas Flamel."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed imperceptibly "What about my dear old friend."

"_Yeah, emphasis on old"_ the kunoichi thought, "Potter and his friends are combing the books to find out who he is, they reckon he has something to do with what's hidden beneath that cerberus of yours. No idea why though, everybody knows about the Stone and its maker. At least in Ravenclaw."

"Everybody knows it's here?" the headmaster said in utter shock.

"_Gotcha"_ Saeko suppressed a smirk, the elder was good but not good enough, he slipped. Being distracted was no excuse, "Of course not, what I meant everybody knows who Flamel is and what he is famous for."

The headmaster stiffened, aware of his mistake, but the he forced himself to relax "Ah, yes. The ever studious Ravenclaws."

"And proud of it" Saeko played along.

Dumbledore chuckled "Good, there is nothing wrong with a thirst for knowledge."

"Depends on the knowledge" the Uchiha reminded mildly.

"True" the man said with sad eyes. After a beat of silence Dumbledore continued "Thank you for the report, alert me if anything more should happen."

Saeko nodded "Of course." Taking this as a dismissal the ninja stood up and bowed. Before she said her goodbyes she asked suddenly "Do you need me to stay at Hogwarts and keep an eye on The-Boy-Who-Lived or am I to spend my Christmas holidays in Konoha?"

The headmaster smiled, his eyes twinkling "There is no need to stay, you can return home and see your family. With much less students around and no classes I'm sure I can keep Harry safe. Hm, maybe I'll even make contact."

"Very well. Thank you Dumbledore-dono" the Uchiha said and bowed again, "Good night."

"Good night miss Uchiha" the elder replied as he took a lemon drop from the bowl on his desk.

When Saeko passed by the guardian gargoyle and found herself in the cold corridor she admitted herself a sigh of relief. She was glad she could go back to Konoha – she didn't want to miss much, her connections and reputation had to be maintained and carefully cultivated.

She frowned, that sounded ghastly and cold. Saeko would bet that was why Sarutobi and Itachi were glad she was attending Hogwarts and could relax. She had to admit she mellowed some in the Scottish school but still without losing her edge.

Still, she was very much looking forward to a wider variety of sparring partners that Konoha could provide.

Just to make herself feel even better, she hated being idle even for magic studying purposes, she hopped out of the nearest window and proceeded to climb the outer wall with just her hands – she saw Kakashi do something similar once. If you cut off Maito Guy from the equation it was actually fun.

On the appropriate floor Saeko flung herself back into the Castle and landed into a silent crouch. She seamlessly navigated the deserted corridors and in no time she was crossing into the Ravenclaw common room.

The fourth-year group was sitting on the floor near one of the roaring fireplaces. Saeko smiled and made her way to them. She paused right out of sight when she heard "It was the dude with the mustache, he killed her, I'm sure of it!"

"A dude, are you a yank? Besides it was that Scarlett woman. In the kitchen, with a rope" Caitlin said in a confident voice.

"Is that an official guess?" Helena asked shrewdly.

"No," the red-head frowned when she noticed her friend's demeanor, "Ok, it was her just with a knife instead!"

The blonde who sat on Caitlin's left smirked and showed her one of her cards. The reserve chaser huffed "Darn! I was so sure."

"Told you it was the reverend, just look at him, he looks creepy" Graham said gravely, "I can just see it. Mrs. White spurned his advances and married the wealthy Mr. White. The reverend, green with envy as his name would suggest, stalked the poor woman for years. At first she didn't notice anything but then she began feeling uncomfortable. Glad her husband had business in the Indes the two moved abroad. Some years later they came back, happy but childless. Reverend Green took one look at his former flame and could not help but fall for her again. Hoping he now had a chance he approached Mrs. White again but she turned him down. His obsession with the woman grew. Then Mr. White who had a history of heart disease suddenly died. Reverend Green nearly died from glee and after a time he tried his luck for the third time."

"Is this guy for real?" Ashley whispered to Peter who just shushed her.

Graham continued "This time he was subtle, sought to approach her as a friend fist and maybe comfort her in her grief. Mrs. White wasn't stupid though and well remembered his previous behavior. She began to suspect he had something to do with her beloved husband's death even if it wasn't true. Green's anger festered at this new distance. Then one day she organized a soirée with the more prominent figures of the town she lived in, to her dismay that included the reverend. Mr. Green overjoyed by the invite arrived first. His joy dimmed as more guests began to arrive. Once dinner was over he confronted his host. Mrs. White was angry as he was and finally she accused his of the death of her husband. The argument escalated. When the woman venomously announced she would never even consider Mr. Green even if he were the last man on Earth the reverend lost it. Infuriated, he grabbed the first thing he could find, a candlestick, and hit his love. Then he hit her again and again. As if a demon gripped him he could not stop. Finally when her face resembled mush he dropped his weapon, horrified. He paced along the study, trying to calm down. Then it hit him, the bitch deserved it, he should not lose any sleep over it. He sneered at the body and then he calmly walked out of the study, this time a small smile on his lips."

"You are such a drama queen" Helena rolled her eyes. At this the group laughed and complimented Graham on his tale.

"Not bad, not bad at all" Daniel commented, "I would actually read that."

Caitlin nodded "Flesh it out a bit and you could be a writer."

Saeko made herself known "Are thinking up murders? This sounds like something I should be part of."

"What, you hear murder and you come running?" Paddy joked.

"Pretty much, yeah" the Uchiha shrugged and sat down beside Caitlin, "So what's this?"

"It's Cluedo, a board game" Peter chuckled and quickly explained rules.

The scarred girl nodded "Not as exciting as I thought, but I like it. You deal me in the next game."

"You can play instead of me" Paddy offered.

Daniel shook his head "No need, I have the American expansion."

Ashley laughed "Yeah, you can be Miss Peach! I can just picture you as a southern belle!"

Saeko shrugged "Seriously, what's with this names? Cornel Mustard? Professor Plum? And all the other silly things."

"You got something better?" Graham asked eagerly.

Helena rolled her eyes again "Here we go, drama queen number two has a go."

The Uchiha hummed in thought and then smirked "How about the dead is the Wind daimyo, in his bedroom, killed by an Iwa ninja masquerading as a prostitute with an exploding tag."

"How is that any better?" Paddy challenged.

"The explosions" Saeko replied as is the matter was clear.

"Fair enough"

Ash sighed "Can we go back to the non-exploding version of the game? I think I'm close."

"Hey!" Peter suddenly exclaimed as an idea came to him "We could make a new version, a magical one! We cold enchant the board and stuff – make it better like wizard chess!"

Paddy's eyes lit up "You mean a little figurine of Mrs. Peacock beating down the reverend?"

"That's a bit gruesome" Ash countered.

"And magical chess isn't?" Saeko asked bewildered, "I mean just yesterday I saw the queen piece get off her chair, take it up and beat a pawn to death with it."

The black-clad brunette chuckled "I take it back."

"We need to research permanent charms. Runes would be handy as well" Caitlin began planning.

Graham frowned in thought "We could ask professor Vector if she has diagrams on how the chess is animated."

"Nah, let's do it ourselves!" Daniel grinned.

Paddy nodded vigorously "Yeah, it'll be fun!"

"We need to spice up the rules as well. This is the muggle version after all, we could make it Hogwarts!" Graham proposed.

"No," Ashley interjected, "that could be perceived as offensive."

Daniel nodded "True. Still, let's do the spell-work first."

At this the group smiled and began discussing which spell they should research. They all pretty much talked over each other and then fled to their respective rooms for notepads and books. Only Helena and Saeko remained behind. The ninja sighed "Well, I did want a new project." She got up as well and went for her scrolls.

"What! You are supporting this?" Helena said bemused. The Uchiha didn't look back. "Saeko? Saeko?" The blonde sighed "Why do I always get the feeling I'm the only one normal around here?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hogwarts Grounds<strong>

If anybody thought November was cold December surpassed every expectation. The grass was covered in a light white dusting, a clear prelude for the snow to come later in the month.

It was in those times Saeko thanked Kami for the heating charms and its variations. Konoha had a nice, mild climate, not at all like Hogwarts. To be honest she didn't mind the cold as much as the foul weather that often accompanied it.

Luckily most of the quidditch trainings the Uchiha scheduled so far had been during sunny moments. Her team didn't seem to appreciate.

"My bits are freezing off, can we just discuss strategy again?" Rory whined.

"Or do the physical training! At least that can keep us warm" Cameron chimed in.

Jared chuckled "If you guys are cold you are obviously not working hard enough."

"Or it could just be the wind?" Wayne said acerbically, his usual cheerful demeanor damped by the weather.

Saeko laughed "You guy are a bunch of wussies! But I guess four hours can be enough."

"YES!" the three chasers exclaimed in unison and high-fived.

"You know, I still have the pitch reserved for another hour" the Uchiha trailed out with a teasing smile.

The reaction was immediate. The trio's brooms stopped just before Saeko and the boys laid nearly flat on the handle – the ninja realized it was supposed to be a mid-flight bow.

"I still need to do the Potions homework! Snape will have my ball for this. That is if they don't fall off with the other frozen bits!" Rory exclaimed in a horrified voice.

"Have pity! I have a date this evening and I would still like to move without the feeling that my arms are made of lead" Cameron joined in, eye lashed fluttering, lips trembling.

"I'm in the middle of a book and I really need to know how it's going to end!" Wayne said while holding his hands as if he was praying. Everybody looked at him, eyebrows arched. The chaser shrugged "What? My reasons might not be that dramatic but they are still valid."

Saeko laughed "No matter, this training had already exceeded my expectations. Truly excellent work. Let's go back and warm up."

The team let out a loud cheer, even the usually grumpy James, and immediately landed. Saeko had to smile at the enthusiasm.

After she had changed the Uchiha noticed she had been left behind, it seems her team had been serious about their hunger and level of exhaustion. _"Not youthful at all"_ Saeko smirked smugly. Since there was nobody around she disillusioned and run at full speed back to the Castle and the Ravenclaw Tower.

"_What two things you can never eat for breakfast?"_ asked the winged guardian.

Saeko resisted to roll her eyes and shout 'laaaaame' "Lunch and dinner."

The passage to the Common Room revealed itself and Saeko entered. She didn't make more than five steps into the room before she was snatched by Graham "Finally! Come with me."

"Ooookay"

The brunette let herself be dragged towards her little group of friends. They looked from their respective activities and smiled. Paddy sighed "Glad you're here, maybe now Graham will tell us his big project."

"Yeah, dazzle us" Helena said in a dead-pan voice.

Graham rolled his eyes "You know how I went to see gran in St. Mungo's last week? She talked about memories and stuff."

"How's she doing by the way?" Ash interjected.

"Better" the boy sighed, "But we still be spending Yule at the hospital. Anyways, she practically demanded I made some photos of my friends and things. She also said I would be grateful for them when I'm older. So! I need my little poker group to pose for me."

"For realz?"

"Here?"

"Are you going to make a scrap book? Because my little sister has a nice pink fluffy folder to bind it in"

Graham rolled his eyes "Ass. Come on, it's going to be nice having some reminders of our time here."

"You sound old" Peter snickered.

Saeko smiled "It's actually a good idea. I'm in."

Caitlin chuckled "I guess we got ourselves a photo shoot."

"When you put it like that I'm definitely in" Peter said and dramatically swept his hair from his face.

"Ok, let's put Peter in a bikini!" Ash clapped her hands in glee.

"Psh, you would be jealous of my figure" her childhood friend deadpanned, "Let's borrow Saeko's swords and make a cool pose!"

"Maybe Hagrid can let us ride the hippogriffs!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Well" Helena joined timidly, "I would love to try on a kimono, if you'd allow."

"The colors won't suit you much but sure"

Graham cleared his throat "Hm, guys, that wasn't really the idea."

"The giant squid! We need to summon the giant squid!" Paddy exclaimed excitedly.

"And a lasso!"

"Yeeehah!"

"A leather jacket, I _need _it!"

"Forget about that, we need a better place for the shoot! How about the beach or a tropical waterfall?"

"You got one stashed somewhere?"

"MAGIC!"

Graham sighed in despair "Let's just go to lunch."

"LUNCH!"


	59. 4- 59 Player versus Player

***Player versus Player***

"Ugh, useless" Lauren huffed.

Saeko shrugged "At least every class is an experience. And Helena is making big money off all those bets."

"I'm happy for her but really, that man is useless!"

"Kettleburn is fun" the ninja grinned.

The Slytherin huffed again "He taught half of the lesson with his hair on fire."

"As I said, fun"

"Ha ha" Lauren said in her most dead-pan voice.

Saeko smirked "Come on, Sun-Hair Silvanus, master of all beasts…"

"…should retire" the red-head finished for her.

Peter who walked just behind the girls chuckled "Maybe he just got a crush on Madame Pomfrey so he gets injured on purpose."

Lauren turned sharply to look at the Raven in disbelief. Saeko on the other hand hummed "You know, I could see that. He _does_ go limping into the Castle with a huge smile. I thought he was just mildly insane but this does sound like a possibility."

The Slytherin stuttered, clearly taken aback by the thought of her mentor as an object of lust.

"As the soft light of the setting sun filters thought the windows of the infirmary…" Peter began his tale but he was stopped by an icy glare, courtesy of Lauren.

Saeko chuckled "And here I thought Graham was our resident story teller."

The boy bowed "Thank you, thank you. So Lewis, if you halted my story of love and comfort in the Hogwarts infirmary how about you give us a true one."

"A true one what?" the pureblood arched her eyebrows.

"A story"

The kunoichi nodded "Yeah!"

"Please!" Peter said in his most pleading voice.

"Pretty please!" Saeko joined in.

"Yeah!" Paddy jumped up from behind them.

Lauren gasped, startled by his sudden appearance "I'm not telling you anything if you keep sneaking up on me like that!"

"Sorry" the guilty raven said sheepishly, "Take my offering as an apology."

The sole Slytherin arched her eyebrows and said in an unimpressed voice "You have a flask."

"Awesome" Caitlin said cheerily and took it. After taking a sip she hummed contentedly "Rum, nice!"

"Gimme!" Peter tried to grab the flask.

Saeko was quicker "Nope, Lauren gets it. We want a story after all."

All the Ravens nodded and the flask was offered to the aspirant healer. Lauren looked hesitant at first but then she shrugged and took a healthy sip. The Ravenclaws cheered and urged to let the flask to be passed around, after all trudging in snow was much easier with some fire in their bellies.

"So, story time!" Paddy announced.

Lauren sighed "Very well. How about the tale of the exploding acne cure a certain Gryffindor tried on herself."

"Ooooh" the group chorused.

X

"And then BOOM!"

"That's disgusting" Helena made a face at the retelling of one of Lauren's hilarious infirmary stories. The rest of the group didn't seem to agree as they exploded in laughter.

"Who was the Gryff anyway? I kinda want to know how she looks like now" Graham inquired.

Paddy shook his head vigorously "Oh no, no, no, no! I like all my limbs attached, thank you very much."

"Excuse me?" Helena asked in a confused tone.

"Lewis announced that if we try to seek out any of the patients she talked about she will break off all our limbs and use them as bowling pins. Seemed pretty serious about it too" Peter explained.

Daniel nodded "Hm, now I get why she is Saeko's friend."

"That and she is seriously hot" Graham chimed in.

Helena made a disgusted sound while Ash and Daniel rolled their eyes. The rest seemed to acquiesce the point. On the other hand the Uchiha's eyes narrowed "Stay away from my friend."

Graham pouted.

"I mean it"

Graham pouted more dramatically.

"I'll set your entire collection of Playwizard on fire"

"EEEK!"

* * *

><p><strong>Unused Classroom, 4<strong>**th**** floor**

"Again"

Jared whined but stood up obligingly.

It wasn't long and he was back on the ground on his ass. The sixth year sighed "Why did I ask for this again?"

Saeko stood up from her stance "I truly do not know, I told you you weren't ready for a spar. You should keep practicing your katas."

"Kickboxing doesn't have any katas" Jared said exasperatedly.

"Hn"

"But it's really fun" the Brit defended.

The scarred girl shrugged "I admit, it's good exercise. And useful against the usual bullying and thieving trash." _AKA those without chakra and any true martial training._

"Gee, thanks"

"That was a compliment"

Jared rolled his eyes "So it's not really complicated, it doesn't really have a form but I…"

Saeko sighed and spoke louder "It was a compliment! It's an efficient enough style. You would use it for basic self-defense and stuff, but it is mainly a hobby for you, am I right."

"Yeah" the boy admitted, "but you could still lose that patronizing smile when I kick."

"Oya? That's my default expression. You didn't notice before?" Saeko said innocently.

"Nah, I couldn't see that past your ego" Jared quickly fired back.

The Uchiha smirked in approval at his comeback and settled into her fighting stance. Jared reluctantly followed.

Five generous minutes later the Brit was back on the ground "Alright, enough!"

"Hn"

"Don't 'hn' me"

"Hn" Saeko smirked.

Jared sighed "Let's just go to the kitchens, I'm hungry." The ninja opened her mouth to reply but the boy interjected sharply "If your intended reply was 'hn' by any chance I'll kick your ass."

"As if you could"

"Maybe tomorrow" the Brit shrugged.

As the duo slowly walked out of the classroom they were using and towards the basement Jared hummed in thought "Did you notice Jamie got very cheerful all of a sudden?"

"Well, Christmas is approaching" Saeko said in faux-disinterest, after all she knew exactly who made the blonde ex-captain so happy these days.

Jared shook his head "That's not it. Do you think she might be dating again?"

The kunoichi shrugged "Could be, in that case good for her, of maybe she's just looking forward to the holidays."

"Hm" Jared said thoughtfully and nodded. Three steps later he stopped dead in his tracks "You know something!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, totally!" the boy said and he folded his arms, "If you didn't you would be organizing another expedition to find out who he was and if he's worthy."

Saeko smiled but said nothing.

"Come on, spit it out Uchiha!"

The brunette shook her head "I promised."

"I could always make an expedition myself. You know I would find out who he is" Jared challenged.

"No," Saeko said icily, "leave it be. She is happy with this one and we will wait for her to introduce us."

Jared pouted "But you know him, it's not fair."

"Though luck. Besides I approve, it's totally differed than when she was with Kessler."

"True," Jared admitted. Then he sighed "Alright, I'll wait for her to say something. But it sucks, I'm really curious."

Saeko had been as well before she met Chloe so she said nothing.

"Sooo" the boy spoke up after a while, "You looking forward to the holidays?"

The Konoha nin smiled "Sure, you?"

"Of course! Eggnog, TV, a great computer game and no school books! THAT IS HEAVEN!" he finished dramatically.

"Oh, and here I thought Christmas was a time for family"

Jared rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "Yeah, them too."

"Good to know you have your priorities straight" Saeko smirked.

"Shush you, you know precisely what I meant."

Saeko hummed noncommittally "That reminds me, if anyone of you grows fat over the break I will be breaking something as well."

The boy looked at his captain who had a sinister smile playing on her lips. He gulped. "I'm sure everyone will be keeping up with the physical regimen you set up."

"Splendid!"

"You know, sometimes you scare me" Jared confessed.

The Uchiha smiled once more "Nonsense, I just need some incentives to fan your flames of youth."

"What now?" the Brit asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh, you'll see" Saeko grinned. The other beater shivered.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

"..…"

"….."

"….."

"Your staring is starting to be slightly uncomfortable" the Uchiha said breezily after she swallowed.

Caitlin laid one hand on her friend's shoulder and asked seriously "Saeko, tell me honestly… are you aware of what are you eating?"

"I consider myself fairly intelligent and observant, so yes"

The red-head gently shook her head "Aye, you are, but I don't think you realize the situation."

Graham who sat beside Caitlin nodded emphatically. The rest of the group was torn between genuinely concerned curiosity and amusement.

"And what situation that might be?" the scarred brunette asked, her eyes never leaving her bowl.

Caitlin's voice lowered into a worried whisper "You're eating cereal. _Chocolate cereal_."

"Oh? Well, that changes everything" Saeko said in a deadpan voice and scooped up another bunch of chocolaty hoops.

"As in a not so healthy substance?" the Irish girl pressed on.

Saeko shrugged.

"Seriously, what the hell? Why aren't you freaking out about j-j-unk foooood" Caitlin finished in a haunted voice.

The Uchiha rolled her eyes "I do like to indulge once in a while. Besides, in moderation even junk food is allowed."

"uh-uh" Peter looked at her dubiously.

Saeko sighed "It's good, I like it, get over it."

"True, sometimes even the stuck-up ones act human" Graham said with a smile to indicate he was joking.

Ashley nodded "Yeah, I even saw Helena eat a whole pie by herself once!"

"Hey! It was my favorite and I was feeling blue!" the blonde defended.

The smaller Brit grinned "Not judging. It was hilarious though."

"New topic!" Daniel announced, "This Christmas, anyone doing anything interesting?"

"Are you going to see that boyfriend of yours or was he just a summer dalliance?" Helena teased to get back at her.

Peter threw a grape at the blonde. Ashley replied "We are not going to gram's place, so no."

Helena nodded without looking at Ash and threw a handful of dry cereal at Peter who promptly dodged. Daniel who sat beside the blonde rolled his eyes and sighed. Peter threw another grape right between his eyes in reply.

Daniel's eyes narrowed and his gaze lowered onto the pudding he got before him. Peter gasped and shook his head vigorously. The bespectacled boy chuckled, seeing his threat was enough answer. Graham did not seem to agree as he threw an orange slice which landed on Peter's robe with a wet sound.

Taking the offending fruit between two fingers Peter threw it back. Unfortunately for him his aim was poor and the orange slice splashed into Caitlin's breakfast.

The red-head stared at the new addition on her plate for a few beats, then she eyed coldly the other side of the table "This means war."

"To arms!"

X

**McGonagall****'s Office**

"I expected better of you all. I mean, starting a food fight? At your age?" the Scottish professor said sternly.

The group of Ravenclaws who were looking at their feet just murmured something indecipherable.

"Excuse me?" McGonagall prompted.

"We are sorry professor, we shall not do that again" they chorused.

"Especially not on pudding day" Ash said sotto-voce.

"Caitlin started it!" Graham defended.

McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose "House of the Wise…"

"…my ass?" Saeko finished for her.

"Miss Uchiha!"

Caitlin elbowed the ninja and whispered "Nailed it."


	60. 4- 60 Crystalline Christmas

**AN: So, I was thinking of changing the synopsis to something less clinical. Problem is I have no idea what to write - it either ends up in horrible cliché or, well, like see above. T****hat said I would love if you could give me an idea, just something not overly dramatic but that would tempt you to try the story out.**

**I would apreciate it so very much :-D**

**So, without further ado, a Konoha chapter, enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>*Crystalline Christmas*<strong>

"You WHAT!"

"I'm engaged" Itachi replied. At the least he had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

Saeko shook her head as if to clear it "I know it is a cliché but I think I need a drink. You have one too and then explain. Everything. Slowly and from the beginning."

The Uchiha lord obliged. With some potent rice liquor in hand Saeko sighed, Itachi took it as a sign to start "I told you about Eel, it's her. Well, Tadaoki Mihane, she left the corps and is now a regular jounin. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but she was ANBU and we are forbidden in disclosing anyone's identity, you know that. Plus it didn't get serious until a few months ago."

"You have a fiancée and I haven't even met her. I only got a hint from you that you might like someone in ANBU" Saeko said sadly. Itachi lowered his gaze but said nothing. The raven-summoner sighed "But I understand. So, where are you hiding her?"

Itachi smiled "She's on a mission right now but she should came back in a few days. We could get dinner then."

"I'm eager to meet her" Saeko said with a smile of her own, "So tell me about her. I remember something about being a sensor and good with katon jutsu, what else? Like how old is she?"

"She is 21…" Itachi began but was interrupted by his sister chuckled and comments about the Uchiha-to-be being a cougar. Itachi sighed "Come on, she is just two years older than me, big deal."

"Sorry, I just couldn't keep it in."

"Anyway" the man said after casting an admonishing glare to his sister "she's the last member of a minor ninja family, they all died during the Kyuubi attack. She went through the ranks pretty quickly too before ending in ANBU."

Saeko sighed "That is good but I was hoping for some more personal info."

"Ask her when you meet" the elder Uchiha smirked.

The brunette humphed "Alright. So when do you start getting cute fire-breathing kids?"

Itachi's eyes went wide and he gulped "Not for a while. The Council might have pressured me to get engaged by twenty but I, we, plan on a long engagement. Mihane-chan has no urge to give up her ninja career to have a kid just yet and I'm frankly not ready for them. If we got married now we would get sick of everyone asking about little Uchiha."

"True. Is the date set?"

"Not really, maybe the year after the next"

"But no little Uchiha?"

"Not yet" Itachi reiterated a tad defensively.

Saeko chuckled "Okay." They both took a sip of the liquor and the girl suddenly eyes her brother seriously "But you love her, right? It's not just because the Clan."

"I do" Itachi said warmly, "And you'll like her too, I'm sure of it. She's a bit stern but has a wonderful sense of humor, and before you say anything I have a sense of humor too so shut it, and she's really smart and understanding. She hates slackers and bullies of any kind but is kind to those that put effort into things. She's a protector, like me. And she is not, in any way, a fangirl."

"She sounds lovely" Saeko smiled again, glad for her nii-sama, "I'm happy you found someone you care about so strongly."

Itachi made the most childish face "Awww, but no one will replace my little sister in my heart."

Saeko laughed "That's good to know. But really, your reputation of cold and aloof? Poof, just like that."

"But no one will never know, right?" the ANBU captain grinned.

"Nope" the brunette smirked, "Just me. Oh, and Mrs Uchiha naturally."

The siblings chatted, intent on catching up even if they conversed fairly regularly in the summon realm. Unfortunately the relaxed atmosphere was ruined by a knock on the door "Itachi-sama?"

The Uchiha lord sighed and called out for his guest to enter. It was one of the more senior clan members, one that was part of the elder council after the 'purge'.

"Itachi-sama, I was… oh, Saeko-sama! How fortuitous you are here!"

Saeko suppressed a groan – for one that aspired to be Hokage, she didn't particularly liked dealing with petty problems masquerading as a 'crisis to the Clan'. Nonetheless she greeted him as befitting his station. Internally she chanted _"Please don't be trade agreements, please don't be trade agreements…"_

"I'm here concerning the trade agreements…" the elder started.

"_Fuck, kill me now"_ Saeko thought and eyed her brother who seemed to have lost all hope as well. The girl resigned herself at an evening of utter boredom. _"Well, at least it's good practice."_

* * *

><p><strong>Outside the Konoha Gates<strong>

While Saeko waited for her team to arrive she talked with Keita, the now fresh chuunin she tutored for a little while, who had been on gate duty. The boy was rather proud of his performance in Suna and was eager to recount the exams to his once-sensei.

Just before the allotted time Saeko was joined by four other ninja that made up her team for the mission. The Uchiha nodded at her team but then turned back to the new chuunin "I need to go. Once again, congratulations Keita, the flack jacket looks good on you."

"Thank you taichō!" the genjutsu user beamed.

Saeko smiled "Just don't let up, you play with the big boys now."

"Sure thing taichō" the boy replied, "Besides, I still run with the team, they wouldn't let me."

"Good. Well, see you around"

"See ya taichō"

The brunette waved and went to her team for the mission she was issued. The Hokage had selected a high B-rank for her that was right up her alley – search and destroy.

"Good morning team," Saeko greeted the mix of chuunin and tokujō, "I take it you have been briefed?"

"Hai, Uchiha-taichō" said four voices in chorus.

"Excellent" the brunette smiled tightly, "I don't have many details to fill in, we are the ones to gather the information after all. Any questions?"

One of the chuunin nodded tentatively "How likely is a confrontation with Oto nins?"

"Very likely" Saeko replied grimly, "We are going to investigate 'suspicious disturbances' in their territory. I suspect some escaped prisoners or experiments of our dear late Orochimaru. Besides, my brother might have killed the traitor but his apprentice still remains."

The team nodded. Since there were no more questions the Konoha nins broke into a run, destination Land of Rice.

As they traveled Saeko subtly eyed her team – she received some brief dossiers on them but those don't contain everything.

Her tracker was a Hyuuga which made sense – the team knew exactly where to go, they only needed to be able to spot trouble, and who better than the ninja who could see on hundreds of steps away and trough anything. Hyuuga Hoshi, a girly name for a girly man, was from the main branch and was one of _those_ Hyuuga, aka an arrogant prick that believes to be superior to everybody he meets. "_Wonderful."_

Her second and last tokubetsu jounin was Nakai Renji. He was a genjutsu user who worked primarily at T&I. Saeko could recall Anko mentioning him on occasion. He seemed aright.

The remaining two shinobi were chuunin and had more or less rounded skills. Inada Tetsu was said to be an excellent trap-maker and very inventive with ninja wire. A note in his file said he was being considered for promotion to full jounin – that meant very good taijutsu and ninjutsu as well.

Aburame Saki seemed bland in comparison, but then again members of the bug clan tended to be secretive. Still, his skill in Aburame jutsu was notable. He also carried a kusarigama, a weapon Saeko thought cool but something she would just get tangled in.

All in all a good team. Or at least competent.

The journey to Rice went mostly in silence, which in hindsight was marvelous – it took just one brief lunch break to find out that Hoshi was not just a prick but also a misogynistic one. His, oh so enlightened, opinions on kunoichi and women in general were really something. Saeko was secretly pleased he must be seething inside having her, a woman, as team leader and of higher rank instead of being back in the village cooking for her husband. The Uchiha briefly wondered if the man was married, if so she pitied the wife.

Finally hours later they arrived at the border with Rice. Saeko called for an extended break before they would venture into hostile territory.

"I could send my kikaichū to find areas with a large concentration of chakra. If indeed the disturbances are caused by shinobi my bugs should be able to find them" the Aburame volunteered.

Saeko nodded "That would be really helpful."

As the black swarms emerged from Saki's coat the brunette thought about Helena and her indubitably hilarious reaction to the insects. The ninja did not flinch, even if she could tell nobody was really comfortable with the kikaichū.

It took quite a while for the bugs to come back but when they did, they didn't disappoint. The team flew over the Valley of the End and entered Oto territory guided by Saki.

Judging by their surroundings the site the Aburame found had to be near the ocean, exactly on the other side of Rice Country. When the hooded chuunin signaled they were near Hoshi activated his byakugan and his brow furrowed in both concentration and worry "There is something wrong, I can't see properly."

The brunette was alarmed "What do you mean?"

"It's like little mirrors on the ground, I see just reflections" the Hyuuga explained, his voice on the verge of panic, "It makes my eyes hurt."

That was very bad news, it was not often the white eye failed. Saeko was worried about her own dōjutsu but she calmly asked "Do you see around those mirrors?"

Hoshi sighed in relief "All but that direction is fine."

The Uchiha nodded "Let's find out the source. Everybody, be on your guard."

The team jumped on the branches on the biggest tree that made the border between the forest and a clearing near the cliffs, all of them ready for anything. Hoshi confirmed their thoughts "There is no one around. Living that is."

Jumping down the Konoha ninja approached the corpses, and or more importantly, pink crystals on the ground with caution.

"What the…" Tetsu exhaled in disbelief.

That summed the scene up perfectly. The numerous bodies on the ground were all strange, misshapen, animal-like. They practically reeked of Orochimaru's labs. The method of how they died was even more singular. Most of the late Oto ninja were pierced by long needle-like crystals but some were shattered. That was most disturbing, the shattering part. Saeko looked at one particular body and could practically see the story unfold – the horned man had been infected with something and his arm began to crystallize so he cut it off before getting pierced by some more crystals. But even his death didn't stop the pink from spreading, all it accomplished was he remained more or less intact.

It was horrifying, even for ninja.

"Well, someone took care of them it seems" Renji announced and broke the spell.

Saeko nodded, trying to look unaffected as the T&I member "Indeed. But those crystal jutsu, this shoton, sounds like something Orochimaru would like."

"You think Oto nins killed each other?" Hoshi hummed.

"Why not, the Snake sure wouldn't care" Tetsu shrugged.

Saki joined in "It is possible this was a cleanup – those attacks and thefts did garner attention, it would be logical to dispose of the unnecessary attention."

"These crystals seem to deteriorate, in a few minutes there will be no evidence left behind" the T&I member agreed as he observed the bodies.

Saeko nodded "It looks like we just missed this shoton user. We must find more information on him and his jutsu, especially if he used to work for Orochimaru."

The team agreed and Saeko summoned a raven to carry a piece of crystal to the Hokage along with their report thus far. Maybe the Konoha research department would glean something from it.

"Hm" Renji still poked around the crystallized body parts.

Hoshi who finally stopped whining about his eyes squatted beside him "What do you think? A doton?"

It was the Uchiha who replied "I'm pretty sure it's a separate matter entirely, a kekkei genkai we haven't seen before. Maybe even artificially made by dear Orochi."

"Sound plausible" Renji agreed.

"As much as I hate it we need to find this ninja, he should have valuable info" the Hyuuga nodded.

Saeko turned to the two members of traditionally tracking clans "Hoshi-san, Saki-san, can either of you get us a location?"

"If we move around then probably. He shouldn't be too far" the juuken user mused.

"Let's go then"

"Hai taichō"

In the end it didn't take long to find the shoton user – _she_ found them. The woman and presumably two of her clones stood high up a cliff, arms crossed and a sneer on her face "Konoha dogs, always sniffing around."

"That's what dogs do, don't they? Besides Konoha always tries to clean up after their mistakes, Orochimaru and his pets are no exception" Saeko said clearly.

The woman's stance shifted as did her mood – right into pissed "Orochimaru-sama was a genius and far better than anyone of you can ever hope to be!"

"_Bingo!"_ Saeko thought, "_Allegiance confirmed."_ She had no time to taunt the kunoichi as she had to evade crystals shooting from the ground.

"I'm Guren, one of Orochimaru-sama's…" the woman began but was interrupted as well as Tetsu enveloped her in his wires.

Guren just scoffed, shook off both Saeko's and Renji's illusions and turned the wires into pink dust. Her two clones sprung into action as well.

Saeko concentrated on the original, her sharingan active and fortunately functioning.

The enemy kunoichi was fast, really fast. With one hand sign she rapidly threw a series of crystal needles at the Uchiha who had no trouble evading. Once the little pink shards touched the ground they seemed to take root and immediately grew enough to entrap their intended victim. Saeko thanked Kami for her eyes and honed reflexes as she somersaulted out of the way.

Guren took the few beats the Uchiha was in the air to capture the kikaichū that were working on one of her clones. As the small insects fell she aimed a powerful kick at the Aburame who rather blocked than risk more insects by creating a clone or shield.

Before the Oto-nin could do more she was forced to evade as Saeko threw a handful of shuriken that she immediately multiplied by the _Kage Shuriken_ technique.

As both kunoichi landed they took an instant to look around the battlefield to assess the situation. Hoshi's fancy poking did its job and Guren's clone was no more. Same went for the other one which fell prey to a small localized charge, courtesy of Renji's seal. Tetsu was conspicuously absent, no doubt preparing a trap of some kind out of sight.

Guren tsked.

Saeko did not hesitate and she unleashed a small earthquake to throw her opponent off balance. Then she charged, taking a deep breath, ready to burn the bitch to ashes from a distance she could not evade.

The shoton user lost her footing which surprised Saeko but then again, Renji had been standing immobile on a tree not far from her with a focused look on his face, obviously launching genjutsu after genjutsu.

Before Saeko could land the sure-kill Guren grew a huge dome-like wall in front of her for protection. The Uchiha did not waste her breath or chakra and just used the crystal as a stepping stone to fly over it, careful as not to have any more contact with it than necessary.

On the vulnerable side of the wall Saeko readily unleashed a powerful stream of fire that had been almost white in color. The katon jutsu had not been the only one to target Guren as Tetsu had emerged from the forest, clearly finished with whatever he was cooking up, and launched doton spikes from the ground.

Guren shook off another illusion and immediately closed the dome entirely but not before crystallizing and reversing the earth spikes. The fire impacted the dome a moment later but did not penetrate. Still, it heated up the air within the dome to an unbearable level and Guren was forced to abandon it.

"_Water and Earth won__'t work as she can turn it into crystals. Fire does not have the penetrative power so that leaves Wind or Lightening. Also there is some big trap in the forest now so we need to push her there"_ Saeko analyzed even as her hands formed the seals for the _daitoppa_.

The Uchiha could not finish as Guren seemed to fly high in the air, now enveloped with tiny pink shards that rained on them with an unrelenting intensity, forcing the Konoha ninja to retreat and defend.

Rolling out of cover Saeko shot several simple lightning bolts towards her enemy to force her to stop the assault.

It worked and Guren had to jump into a nearby tree. Saeko finally unleashed the _daitoppa_ and the enormous gust of wind launched both the tree and the woman deeper into the forest.

Then … _something_ happened. The air fizzled with chakra and the pressure seemed to go down. Tetsu grinned as his trap was put to use.

A few second later Renji asked "Is it over?"

"Hoshi?" Saeko prompted the Hyuuga to use his bloodline.

Before the man could give his report Guren showed up again, severely disheveled but otherwise okay. Tetsu's eyes went wide and he breathed out "No way. Just how powerful is she?"

"Konoha DOGS!" Guren screamed in fury, "I was slated to be Orochimaru-sama's next body, YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

One beat later she was upon the Aburame who was standing to the side since all his skill were more or less useless against the crystal element. The Konoha ninja immediately threw their shuriken to get her to evade or just slow her down just as Saki brought up his kusarigama. Before any of the weapons could made contact Guren had the man by his throat and from under her fingers pink crystals sprung to life.

Dropping the man she effortlessly deflected all shuriken with a tonfa-like crystal blade. Then she jumped up another tree, leaving behind Aburame Saki, now firmly enclosed in crystal.

"One down, four to go" Guren taunted.

The team did not hesitate and all of them launched their attacks. They all impacted and shattered the clone that Guren switched with to give her time to unleash another crystal technique.

Three enormous crystal dragons sped towards the four ninja. Renji immediately delved into the shadows and Tetsu merged with the earth, both fighters more suited for support. Hoshi shared a glance with his captain and just as the dragons were about the strike he used his clan's most powerful defense jutsu, the_ kaiten_.

That gave Saeko the time to unleash a dragon of her own, only fire in nature.

As the Oto-nin dealt with her jutsu, Saeko disillusioned herself and from a nearby tree she unleashed a barrage of binding spells. Guren had trouble with the unknown energy that bound her thus allowing the Uchiha to unseal her fan and let loose with fūton techniques.

A few seconds later Guren was in pieces.

"Is it over now?" Renji asked again.

"Yes, she won't be getting up again" the Uchiha confirmed.

Tetsu just hummed and went to the shattered remains of their teammate. Saeko glanced at Hoshi, looking him over for any injuries. He seemed on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion but otherwise alright.

As the trap-maker collected the small crystals from the Aburame to bury Saeko thought about how most spells require a suitable distraction, magic was simply much slower than many ninja were. Guren had been particularly speedy. She sighed, nothing much she can do about it. Still, it irked her that a simple _petrificus totalus_ could've saved Saki's life if Guren just stayed put.

"There should be a camp of some sorts or lab. Those misshapen nin could've not come from nowhere" Renji mused.

"Hm" Saeko agreed, "Hoshi-san?"

The Hyuuga obliged and as he focused further he let out a sound of surprise "It seems Guren missed a pair of them. They did indeed have a camp and it's still guarded by two men."

"Excellent, maybe now we get some answers" Tetsu said coldly.

Hoshi led the way and the rest of the team followed without a sound, all of them in a somber mood after the fall of their teammate.

When they finally arrived in front of the cave that served at the hideout for the ex-Oto ninja the fight that ensued was pathetically easy.

The T&I member eyed the two captives without any expression. Saeko offered "Renji-san, do you need help with the other one?"

"No need, you can wait here."

"Oke-dokie"

Renji retreated into the cave with their prisoners while the others either kept watch or went through the possessions of the freshly deceased Oto nin.

It was not long and the expert interrogator exited the cave. Everybody frowned when they noticed his pallor.

"Report" the Uchiha prompted.

"They were going after the Daimyō!"

"What!?"

* * *

><p><strong>part 2 next week, it's already written up :-)<strong>


	61. 4- 61 Going to Court

***Going to Court***

_It was not long and the expert interrogator exited the cave. Everybody frowned when they noticed his pallor._

"_Report" the Uchiha prompted._

"_They were going after the Daimyō!"_

"What!?" Tetsu blurted out.

Saeko just frowned "Elaborate."

"They made a deal with a noble in the Fire Court. They would attack the daimyō and in return the noble would guarantee them safe passage out of the country and enough gold to do whatever they wished" the interrogator summed it up.

Hoshi arched his eyebrows "How did a bunch of rejects get in touch with a noble? Is this Orochimaru's apprentice doing?"

"No, it seems they worked alone. It seems the Apprentice is more interested in his master's research than his men" Renji shared.

"That's good, they should be easier to get rid of without someone to organize them" Tetsu interrupted.

Saeko hummed "The name of the noble?"

"Ishikawa Hideyoshi"

"That explains it, the Ishikawa heir was suspected of having deals with the Snake. He must've had a contact within the organization" the Uchiha thought out loud.

Renji nodded "I don't have much details, Guren had to have killed their leader. Those two don't know much."

"If the daimyo exploded or whatever and when the dust settled everyone would blame Orochimaru's experiments and hunt them down" Tetsu nodded.

Saeko agreed "And Konoha would be to blame also since Orochi and his mess are our responsibility. The absence of the daimyo compounded with the weakened Konoha position would give any shrewd nobleman space to maneuver."

"Our people in the Capital would have caught them anyways" Hoshi said assuredly.

"Perhaps, but the attempt alone could serve Ishikawa just as well. I don't think he ever intended to go through the deal anyway. His men would 'discover' the ambushers post facto and he would be a hero."

Tetsu arched his eyebrows "I know Orochimaru's monsters are not the sharpest kunai in the pouch but they must've had some assurances in place."

"Or maybe they were just stupid and desperate enough" Hoshi shrugged.

The trap-maker smirked "Well, we disposed of them. This really had the potential to be a clusterfuck."

"Indeed. But now it's an opportunity" Renji smiled darkly.

"A trap?" the Hyuuga voiced.

Saeko grinned "Yes, we'll catch a traitor and get Daimyō's favor in the process. Let me just discuss with the Hokage."

"We need to hurry, their deadline is in three days" Renji nodded.

"_Kuchiose no jutsu!"_

X

**Daimyō****'s Palace, three days later**

"I'm beginning to envy Saki" Tetsu said irritably.

"He's a fine pink powder" the Hyuuga tokubetsu jounin deadpanned.

Tetsu eyed some distant nobles, his face strained to stay impassive "Exactly."

"Not a fan of nobility?" Saeko asked absentmindedly.

"What was your first clue?"

The Uchiha looked at her teammate from the corner of her eyes "At least we are still in uniform. It could've been formal attire."

Tetsu shivered "Good point. Hey, shouldn't you be used to this?"

"I am"

"Why are you angry then?"

Saeko sighed "We are basically just stand-ins for Jiraiya."

"Well, he's the Konoha's spymaster, it would make sense he knew of the plot" Renji chimed in.

"Yeah. Plus we helped by taking them out" Tetsu nodded encouragingly.

"Hn" said the Uchiha, adjusted her uniform and approached a very well-dressed effeminate man who was one of the daimyō's aides.

The team observed their captain as she dealt with the nobles. After few moment Tetsu broke the silence "I know she is an extremely powerful kunoichi, a jounin, hottest flame of Konoha, the Amaterasu, sister to a ruthless ANBU captain and so on and on… but right now she looks like an adorable teenager."

"Yeah, the pouting is kinda cute." Renji smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Takeji<strong>**'s Bar**

"Savior of the daimyō, beat that Uzumaki!" Saeko exclaimed and she took a shot.

Yuuko chuckled "So you said already. By the way, didn't you say you are meeting your future sister-in-law later today? You should slow down."

"Don't be a downer Yamanaka" Anko grinned as she refilled the glasses, "Little Uchiha can handle it."

The brunette sighed "Thanks, but it is not my intention to get tanked. These shots were for the mission, for a fallen teammate and for the long-ass briefing I had to give to the Hokage. I'll stick to something light from now on."

Anko made a disgusted sound "Pussies, both of you. Hey barkeep, another of the same, if you please!"

"Save some for Ebisu, I saw him with those little terrors he's teaching, he looked he needed to drink the whole bar" Saeko sniggered.

Yuuko chuckled "He did say once that the Konohamaru Corp was terrifying enough to warrant an invitation to the staff of the Torture and Interrogation department."

"I'd rather have them as a customers of said department" the purplette made a strangling motion with her hands.

Saeko arched her eyebrows "Are they so bad? Worse than Naruto?"

"Nah, but Uzumaki had style, these three are just annoying" Anko shrugged.

The Uchiha hummed "Sooo, torture anyone interesting recently?"

"Oh yes" Anko grinned, "I got to play but blondie over here had to shove her Yamanaka stuff up her…"

"No fancy head tricks?" Saeko interjected.

"Nah, we went old school. Just how mama likes it" Anko said with her patent sadistic smirk.

Yuuko sighed "Yep, he was actually very well protected from the usual stuff, like drugs and such. We had trouble old-school as well, but he broke down eventually."

"Took him long enough. I think even Ibiki was a tad bit impressed" Anko nodded and refilled her glass.

The Yamanaka nodded "Much better than the whiny kind. I hate those."

"Ho?" Saeko smirked, "Who's your type then?"

"Young, female and sassy" Yuuko winked at the jounin, "Oh, you mean for interrogation? Then the defiant ones 'You will never break me!' and 'I will never betray my village!'. I love proving them wrong."

"Hear, hear" Anko nodded.

"Oh, and then are those whose physiology interacts weirdly with some of the substances, those are hilarious."

The snake summoner nodded with a grin "They are rare and Ibiki hates them. You have to wait for the high to wear off and try another method."

"But they are so much fun! Like the last one we had, he was talking about rainbows and unicorns. And how the Raikage secretly loves small kittens and that he is the daimyō's concubine" the blonde recounted.

Saeko chuckled "Can this state be faked?"

"Not for long" the Yamanaka sing-songed.

"You two are quite a pair of sadistic bitches" the Uchiha said, almost admiringly.

Anko grinned widely "Yup, I even have a banner proclaiming it!"

"Speaking of bitches, Inuzuka Hana hooked up with Takahiro" Yuuko's eyes lit up at the gossip.

"I remember him, very… muscular" the brunette said in a slightly disgusted voice.

"Yum" the snake summoner smirked.

Saeko rolled her eyes "Ugh. Such a shame."

"I was on a mission with her a while back. She _is_ painfully straight. Pity" the Yamanaka concurred.

"Well, she is the Inuzuka heir, she does need to continue her line" the jounin shrugged.

Yuuko smirked "Would it hurt her to be bi?"

The three kunoichi laughed.

"Also Genma has a huge crush on a girl and we kinda have a betting pool on the results" the blonde continued her recount of the highlights of Konoha's rumor mill.

Anko nodded vigorously "I have a hundred ryo that she will get annoyed enough to superglue his testicles to his thigh."

"Sounds like an awesome gal" Saeko grinned.

"She's a Hyuuga" Yuuko smirked and waited anxiously for the Uchiha's reaction.

Saeko spluttered "Genma and a Hyuuga?"

"Oh yeah. I don't know what happened but he's smitten. To be honest it's rather sickening" Anko said as she ordered another round.

"Oh? And what is her attitude towards our favorite senbon chewing ninja?"

Yuuko grinned "Classic Hyuuga attitude. I'm not one for stereotypes but she really is a typical one."

"And Genma fell for her?"

The two interrogators just shrugged. Yuuko continued "Maybe she behaves differently around him."

"Hn"

Anko snorted in amusement "Speaking of gossip and relationships, you have to tell us about the future Uchiha matriarch."

"Not much to tell, I have yet to meet her" Saeko sighed, still irritated at the fact, "Speaking of which I need to go."

"Already?"

The Uchiha shrugged "Sorry gals, but meeting my future in-law is a much more interesting prospect than just drinking with you."

"Ouch" Yuko said dramatically.

Anko smiled evilly "Oh, you shall change your tune. You'll meet the woman and you will return here and get piss drunk. Mark my words."

"Really?" Saeko arched her eyebrow, puzzled.

Yuuko nodded "Yup. You'll realize you'll have to share your nii-chan from now on aaaand it'll be drinking shots again."

"Hn" replied the girl, refusing to acknowledge the point out-loud, and left the bar with a wave.

Saeko made her way through the village. It was already dark and it matched the mood the girl found herself in. She was nervous and very, very much so.

"_Here it goes"_ the scarred teen sighed as she hesitated in front of her own door.

Back straight, chin up, Saeko entered and made a bee-line into the dining room. She already had in mind to greet the guest and then go change for dinner itself, as was proper, also giving her time to calm down.

Itachi was already there. As was a beautiful woman beside him. Being a jounin Saeko could tell the woman was as nervous as she was which calmed Saeko instantly. _"That__'s right darling. Be afraid. I'm the cute little sister and I better like you."_

The young Uchiha Lord smiled but otherwise made no motion to introduce the two kunoichi.

The silence stretched for a few beats. Then as one the two women smirked, at which Itachi gulped, losing his cool façade.

"Hello, I'm Tadaoki Mihane."

"Uchiha Saeko, a pleasure" _"That's right brother of mine, you're screwed."_

* * *

><p><strong>Training Ground 38<strong>

"Whatcha doing?"

"Meditating" was Neji's dry answer, "Meditating while waiting for a certain Uchiha to arrive for a spar that was scheduled half an hour ago."

Saeko made a sad face "I was on my way but then a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way around."

Neji opened his eyes and glared at his friend "Saw Kakashi-san recently, have you."

"Sorry I'm late, don't get your youth in a twist" the brunette smirked.

The Hyuuga sighed in exasperation "So how was the dinner?"

"Mihane's cool, I like her and she complements my brother well. Though I'm not used to sharing him with anyone besides his job" Saeko pouted.

"Understandable"

"Though I'm rather curious who would win a spar between us. But I didn't bring that up, I'll wait a little while" the girl mused.

Neji rolled his eyes, which looked hilarious with the byakugan, "I would recommend waiting."

"By the way, are the Hyuuga searching for a match for Hinata?"

The boy frowned in concern "I do not know. There is still some… unpleasantness regarding her status as heiress and Hanabi-sama has yet to receive the seal."

"Rough"

"Indeed"

"So how about you? Any prospects?"

"Weren't we going to spar?" Neji said with yet another glare, "Scratch that, we _are_ going to spar. Right now."

Saeko sighed "Alright, alright. I'm not really in the mood though."

Neji just settled in the _Juuken_ stance and activated his bloodline. The Uchiha sighed but activated her eyes as well.

As soon as the long-haired boy moved Saeko drew her wand. With a swish and a murmur, she was not that confident in her non-verbals, and all the small rocks in a 10 meter radius went flying towards Neji at a breakneck speed from all directions.

Momentarily confused, the ninja defaulted to the_ kaiten_.

"That was new" the shinobi commented as he stopped spinning.

"That was the point. En garde!"

"Nani?"

"Nevermind"

X

Once the spar ended the two prodigies just sat on the grass. Since it was more an exercise that a fight neither was injured nor overly exhausted.

"What now?"

Neji shrugged.

"We could pull a prank" Saeko grinned.

"Not my style"

"That's why it would be perfect"

"Pass"

"What about… swimming!" the brunette proposed.

"No"

"Karaoke?"

"No"

"Kami you're boring"

The Hyuuga sighed "How about shōgi?"

"Booooring"

"Go?"

"Are you even trying?" Saeko rolled her eyes at another board game.

Neji shrugged.

"Saeko-san?" a voice interrupted the two ninja.

The scarred jounin smiled widely "Shizuka-san! Wonderful seeing you again. How have you been?"

"Great actually" the now named kunoichi replied, "Just returned from a mission."

"Oh? How about we go for lunch? I'm always starving after a mission" Saeko asked.

The chuunin smiled "Sounds good. I need to give my report so… half-an hour? At the new BBQ restaurant?"

"I'll be there"

"Soo, see you soon"

"Bye" Saeko said and watched the girl disappear.

Neji cleared his throat "Did you just trade me for a hot chick?"

"Yup." Saeko grinned. She waved and was ready to leave when she realized what her friend said "Hey, 'hot chick'? Did your icy Hyuuga heart melt enough to be capable of judging that?"

Neji uncharacteristically smirked and skipped away.

"Hey!" the girl called after him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It´s back to Hogwarts in the next one, though that chapter will be posted a bit late - I´m going on a little holiday. As always reviews are appreciated and if by any chance you could get somone new to follow so I reach the big 100 I´ll send you a virtual kiss :-P<strong>


	62. 4- 62 Catching Up

**AN: I'm baaack. And let me tell you, Mexico is a beautiful and interesting country but I could do it without the 12-hour flight to get there...**

* * *

><p><strong>*Catching Up*<strong>

"_Must not yell at the client. I must not yell at my client. Yelling at a client is bad for business"_ Saeko chanted in her head as she worked to keep an expresionless face.

"Miss Uchiha?" Dumbledore asked when the silence stretched.

Saeko took a deep breath "Let me summarize the situation headmaster. You have gifted Harry Potter, the Boy you wanted under surveillance, a cloak of invisibility. And not even your average invisibility device but one that is actually immune to any countermeasures." _Are you insane?_ She itched to add.

"Under protection, not surveillance" Dumbledore corrected her gently.

The Uchiha gave him a 'really?' look. The Headmaster gave a dignified shrug "It was his father's cloak."

"So I hear, I've peeked at the message. _'Use it well'_ it said. You are aware most boys his age, hmm maybe a bit older, would use it _well _to stroll through girl's bathrooms and so on, right? Not to mention avoiding curfew. And generally going where they are not supposed to. Nice job on the Restricted Section of the Library though, I would have paid good money to see that spooked little face of his" the ninja smirked.

Dumbledore sighed "It matters not now, the cloak stays."

_'Jiraiya would be proud'_ the ninja thought. Outwards she merely nodded and waited to be dismissed.

Few minutes later Saeko could vent her frustration on the walls in the freezing corridors of the Castle. Not that an Uchiha of her station would be crass enough to do so. Still, the cold air helped. Saeko always loathed meddling and Dumbledore was a master of it. He evidently had a very specific idea about the future and the kunoichi would have to get used to working without all the info and with surprise interferences.

_'__Like any other mission then__'_ Saeko sighed.

It seemed the Christmas holidays were eventful for the first-year trio too. She had a kage bushin present to the recap the boys gave Hermione about everything that happened during the break and she was astonished. What happened to nice and safe holidays? Instead Potter stumbled upon a highly addictive ancient artifact with the potential to drive him insane, met the Headmaster and broke into the Library. Though, if the first two things were coincidences Saeko would eat her flak jacket.

On the other hand the trio still hadn't found out about Flamel, which was no surprise since they were looking at all the wrong books. Pity they were so concerned about secrecy, Madame Pince, the librarian, would've been able to help them in a heartbeat.

Saeko shrugged, deciding to leave Potter and his friends to her summons and the occasional shadow clone. Instead she cast the tempus charm, the first period had been free but it was followed by transfiguration and professor McGonagall was very strict about punctuality.

Going at a casual pace the brunette arrived just in time to catch the stream of students enter the classroom.

The ninja greeted her friends with a nod and sat down in her usual spot, right in the first row near the window – aka in prime sharingan view and with a quick escape route, ninja paranoia at work. Not long after everyone settled in their seats the bell rang, signifying the start of another semester at Hogwarts.

"Good day everybody" McGonagall greeted her students as she strode towards the blackboard, "I hope you all had a pleasant Yule. Today we will be starting something new."

A wave of excited murmurs and annoyed groans reverberated though the class – something new in Transfiguration class always meant something really, really hard.

The Scottish professor ignored the reaction and continued "Building on last semester's switching spells we will be delving into the matter of Cross-species switches. First I will explain the theory, which you could also find in your book, pages 180 and beyond, and then you will try your hand at transfiguring a guinea fowl to a guinea pig."

Right on cue an unpleasant sound rose from a cage nearby, containing said transfiguration material.

"Cross-species transfiguration is very difficult to perform and as a subject we now truly enter intermediate territory. Also I can promise you that this type of transfiguration will most certainly be tested during not only the exams this summer but also OWLS."

The class now well and truly spooked immediately drew their quills and began dotting notes on the subject as McGonagall explained.

As the fowl were distributed and the first round of tries started Saeko sighed, she knew this was another of many steps towards human transfiguration, a subject she was burning to learn, but the fact remained that both guinea fowls and guinea pigs were boring, if not annoying.

"Saeko?" Helena nudged her friend.

"Hn?"

"Aren't you going to try?"

"Hn"

"Glad we had this talk" the blonde rolled her eyes.

Saeko smirked, her mood getting better "Hn"

* * *

><p><strong>Saeko and Ashley<strong>**'s Room**

"Why are you so disgustingly happy?" Ash asked her roommate.

"She got laid" Helena said flatly, her eyes never leaving her book.

Ashley blinked twice at the heiress and then she said "Oooh. Right. Which one this time?"

"Evelyn" Saeko replied with a roll of her eyes.

"That Gryff prefect you were working on before Christmas?" the short brunette asked.

The Uchiha huffed, rather offended "I wasn't _working _on anybody. I was just hanging out with her."

"But not anymore" Helena sing-songed.

"Nah, it was just a one-time thing" Saeko shrugged, "During break she saw a movie and she got curious."

Helena looked up from her literature "Which movie?"

"Imagine me and you"

Ashley nodded "I like that one."

"Curious yet?" Saeko joked.

Both Brits rolled their eyes. Helena sighed "Getting curious about lesbians is far better than what Michelle developed over Yule. I mean, it was just a few days and now she discovered a whole new religion!"

"Anime is not a religion" the Uchiha chuckled.

The blonde ignored her "Tell that to her. Our room is a shrine to… bishōnen."

"Oh," Saeko raised an eyebrow while Ashley laughed, "is that why are you here all the time?"

"Yes" Helena said with a solemn nod.

Ashley finally calmed down from her laughing fit "What does her boyfriend say about the bishōnen thing?"

"They broke up. I'm not sure when, I wasn't really paying attention, I was too busy being horrified by the posters and the action figurine or what the hell that thing is."

Saeko and Ash looked at each other, silently agreeing to do a little breaking and entering to the room beside theirs.

"And don't get me started on yaoi" Helena shivered, "I mean there is nothing wrong with the concept, but some pictures are a bit disturbing."

"Explicit?" Ash said with interest.

Helena shook her head "Nope, just some of the ukes, and I'm sad to say I know what that means, look like twelve year olds."

"Ugh" the roommates said in unison.

The blonde rubbed her forehead with a sigh "It's worse than her obsession with Twilight last year."

"I guess she is consistent in liking effeminate guys" Saeko shrugged.

Helena sighed and went back to her book whilst Ashley chuckled.

The girls sat in a comfortable silence for a little while when Ash spoke up once more "Boooring! Let's do something!"

"Like what?" the Grey said with another sigh, "What is wrong with reading a nice book in silence."

Ash shrugged "Nothing. I'm not just in the mood. Come on! Any ideas?"

Helena ignored the short brunette and continued reading. Ash turned to her roommate with a hopeful expression. Saeko shook her head "I'm actually meeting up with the Team in a short while. They might've passed the Christmas fat inspection but that just means we can train harder."

Ashley arched her eyebrows "It's freezing and our match is more than two months away."

"I'm not losing the Cup the first year I was appointed captain. Hell, I don't want to lose ever. Hence the training" the Uchiha said flatly.

"Are you sure it's not just because you're a wicked, wicked witch?" Ash asked.

Saeko smirked "That somehow sounds dirty…"

"Scratch that, an evil, evil bitch?"

"Better" the kunoichi nodded, "And _of course_ I'm an evil, evil bitch, I thought that was clear. Now, I need to torture my minions, bye bye!"

* * *

><p><strong>Library<strong>

"_This, this could be useful. Very, very useful"_ Saeko thought as she frantically read over and over the description of one phenomenon she found in a rather obscure book, _"It__'s like a cross between regular bushin and kage bushin. Only Yamanaka style. Manifesting one's consciousness does sound like something they would have. It would be perfect for communication over long distances, faster than any summon. Pity this book contains only theory. Maybe the restricted section would yield more? Hm, still, I can picture this spell working better on chakra than magic. I'll have to experiment. Safety first though, no one missed the last pages are seriously charred and still smell of flesh."_

"Good book?"

Saeko jerked up, never noticing her Slytherin friend approach her. She was a bit put out by that, being a ninja and all.

"I'll take it as a yes" Lauren smirked, "What's it about?"

"A thesis explaining the possibility and theory behind astral projection"

"Sounds interesting" the red-read said genuinely and motioned to the kunoichi to hand the book over. The Raven obliged and Lauren leafed through it, pausing to read a few times.

"I don't think the last one to try it out for real had much success" the red-head said when she arrived at the black pages.

"Noticed that too, huh?" Saeko chuckled and took the book back.

"Just be careful" Lauren said in a genuinely worried tone.

Saeko smiled "What's life without risk."

"No life, no life at all" Lauren looked pointedly at her friend to indicate she meant the literal meaning.

"I'll be careful, I promise" the Uchiha said in a placating manner, "So which book brought you to the Madame Pince's queendom?"

Lauren chuckled at the term "Venoms and Antivenin."

The kunoichi grinned widely having been reminded of her Konoha friends "NICE! I don't know much about it but a friend of mine is an expert. Poisons too."

The red-head knew now enough about Saeko not to ask weather this friend of hers was a medic or if he/she used venoms in practical application. She decided on a neutral "They are an interesting subject."

"Indeed, and a hard one too" Saeko nodded with a smile. "So what's new?"

"Yule was ok," Lauren sighed, "had to attend a few boring parties though. Still, glad to be back. You?"

Saeko shrugged "Not bad. I met my brother's fiancée and I surprisingly approve of her."

"Wow, relay my congratulations!" the Slytherin smiled.

"I will" the brunette chuckled, "What else, let's see… Oh, Daniel was a big hero yesterday! He stood up against bullies for a creepy kid in the corner. As Caitlin put it he was 'all big protecting auror and shit'."

Lauren laughed primly "Sounds like him. So Ravenclaw has bullies too, huh? What was their issue, not smart enough? Or instead being too smart?"

Saeko rolled her eyes "You know even Ravenclaws are people with more defining characteristics then you people give us credit for."

"Uh-huh" the pureblood smirked.

"Kid is obsessed with dragons. He speaks of nothing else, well, if he speaks at all. He _is_ a bit weird, he even compares people to different kinds of dragons. He doesn't work well in society" Saeko sighed, "At least the kid who wants to be a muggle accountant and is obsessed with math is functioning among people.

Lauren arched her eyebrows "A muggle accountant?"

Saeko shrugged "To each it's own."

"True" the red-head agreed. Before more could be a said a rather loud and very fake laughter resonated from across a few tables. Both girls looked that way.

Lauren made a mildly disgusted sound and rolled her eyes. Saeko eyed her friend curiously "What did Aurora darling do to deserve such a treatment? Well, aside from being a colossal bitch all the time."

The aspirant healer chuckled "Our favorite queen bee started dating Lachlan Kerr…"

Saeko interrupted her "Well, he's a douchebag so I guess they complement each other."

"Quite" Lauren said flatly and continued, "They are even worse now, they apparently are a 'power couple'. I'm pretty sure that was the idea from the start. With Malfoy making waves everybody who is anybody in Slytherin is trying to cement their rule."

"Is a bratty first-year that big a challenge?" the kunoichi asked skeptically.

Lauren sighed "He has a strong name and an influential father, but not at the moment. But give it two years and a bunch of daddy's money and he could be a shaker. Kerr and Gallaher are influential families as well but nowhere near Malfoy's league."

"Hn"

"It helps he is fixated on Potter and Weasley and isn't working on making a base in the House. He is arrogant enough to think he can rule without putting some work in it" the red-head finished.

"The politics of Slytherin sure is complicated" Saeko shook her head.

"It's good practice. We are the House of the ambitious and cunning" Lauren sighed.

The Uchiha shrugged "I'm glad to be a Raven, your House sounds exhausting. I got enough of that stuff back home and I don't need it here. In Ravenclaw you are judged mostly by your merits. Not that we don't have our fair share of douchebags and bigots, mind you."

"Good to know" Lauren smiled.

Saeko joked with a smirk "Not me though, I'm awesome."

"Of course you are" Lauren said in her most patronizing tone.


	63. 4- 63 Drama Filled

***Drama Filled***

"So, there we were in the middle of the night" Ashley narrated dramatically.

"It was day" Pater interrupted flatly.

"We were surrounded by huge snarling gorillas-like monkeys" Ash continued in the same manner, completely ignoring her childhood friend.

"They were small howler monkeys"

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of them" the boy sighed.

"With a terrifying battle shout the all lunged at us, intent on devouring us, tearing limbs and spilling blood. But they were no match, and in the end Peter and I took them down and made a boatload of top dollar selling fur rugs!"

"The monkeys shrieked and we ran with our tail between our legs" Peter corrected in exasperation.

The Ravenclaws laughed while Ash just rolled her eyes "You are such a bore Peter."

Helena shook her head "That's your big adventure? You got lost in a jungle and nothing?"

Ashley huffed "That's Peter's version. I had a true adventure."

"I agree, Pete ruined it" Saeko nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, shame on you Peter" Caitlin chimed in.

"Hey!" the boy in question defended.

The blonde heiress sighed "This is pitiful. Is this really how we are spending the afternoon? Attempting scary stories?"

"Well, the weather is awfully depressing" Daniel shrugged, "Even you wanted to socialize."

"Should've stayed in my room and read" Helena lamented.

Graham grinned "Nah, you would miss us."

"Nah, I wouldn't" the girl mocked back and stood up.

Saeko promptly pulled her back down "You stay put. We will find something suitably entertaining for you."

Ashley snorted "I don't know, I think I'm fed up with 'entertaining' right now. We are lucky the Weasley twins already expended all the new tricks they thought up during Yule."

"Those two are beginning to get on my nerves. They were pretty funny at first, sometimes even now, but I find them annoying" Daniel confessed.

"They are still pretty funny if we are not their target" Peter shrugged.

Caitlin smirked "You done sulking?" The boy rolled his eyes.

"So how about we default to a poker game" Ash proposed.

"That could work" her childhood friend agreed.

X

"Really, you ran upstairs for sunglasses?" Saeko said, very unimpressed.

Graham grinned widely "And snacks!"

He offered the little quiches all around but they all mostly refused. The boy shrugged and immediately stuffed his face "I'm rdy, deal m in."

"Ugh" Helena said disgustedly, "Don't speak with your mouth full or I will demand you pay up all your debts I got written up in my book."

Graham immediately swallowed "No need to be hasty!"

"Thought so" the blonde smirked and shuffled the cards.

The cards were dealt and the group went through the first round of betting. Graham adjusted his sunglasses "Cider anyone?"

Helena made yet another disgusted sound "You are a pig."

"Nothing new there" Daniel smirked.

"Hey!"

Saeko chuckled "You are practically covered by crumpets and you still have a pile of food beside you."

"Leave him be, those are his lucky crumpets. He'll sure need them to win" Peter taunted.

"Sounds legit" Caitlin hummed.

Graham dusted himself off "Pff, as if I need some lucky charms to kick your asses at poker."

"I dunno," Ash said mock-thoughtfully, "I seem to remember you calling out to 'the heart of the cards' last time we played."

"I seem to remember it didn't help" Helena smirked.

"Hey, stop picking on me! Let's play!" Graham waved his cards as he pouted.

The group surprisingly obliged and soon they were engrossed in the game as usual. Helena's little black book was filling up nicely when Ash nudged Graham who sat beside her "Graham? Your turn, you in or out?

"Graham?" Caitlin frowned as she looked at the pureblood.

"I'm not feeling so hot"

"No kidding, you look green" Peter snickered, "Bad cards?"

"I'm…" the boy began but never got to finish as he stood up, swayed slightly and threw up on the beautiful blue carpet.

The rest of the group immediately scrambled away from him as he made a repeat performance. Saeko decided to bite the bullet and put a gentle hand on his back "You strong enough to walk to the infirmary?"

Graham wiped his mouth, sat down and mumbled "In a minute."

"I told you not to stuff yourself too much" Helena reproached him even as worry filed her voice.

"What's going on?" a prefect called as he approached the fourth years.

Helena explained the situation, even keeping the snide remarks out of it, and they agreed that the fourth years would take Graham to Madame Pomfrey themselves. The prefect sent them to the infirmary and promised he would call the house elves to clean up.

In the end Saeko, Helena and Daniel volunteered to accompany the unfortunate Graham when he protested at having all his friends follow him as a 'funeral procession'.

They arrived to the infirmary without further incident. Graham was still very pale and wobbly and Madame Pomfrey immediately rushed to his aid. The other Ravens sat down on a bed near the exit as the nurse tended to their friend all the white muttering about idiots and faulty stasis charms.

"So it's food poisoning?" Daniel piped up.

"Wouldn't that be too soon a reaction?" Saeko whispered.

"Changing your ambitions to healer school now, miss Uchiha?" came a stern reply from Madame Pomfrey.

The Uchiha briskly responded "No ma'am!"

"Then yes, it was food poisoning" the nurse said dismissively over very loud retching sounds. All the Ravens pursed their lips in disgust. Pomfrey smirked and returned to her patient "Let it all out mister Gifford."

Daniel lowered his voice even more than Saeko did before "I think she's enjoying it."

"That is preposterous mister Fairbanks!" Madame Pomfrey called out with yet another smirk.

'Scary' Helena mouthed and the other two nodded, one with unease, the other impressed.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside the Great Hall<strong>

It was Valentine's Day, which as everybody knew meant heaps of lovey dovey couples, bitter singles, jealous rivals, hopeless dreamers and the genuinely indifferent to the significance of the day.

The little poker group of the fourth year Ravenclaws mostly fell into the last two categories. That said the group was one member short in the form of Caitlin who had been asked out by a Gryff she knew from divination, Leroy Crow, and to quote 'decided to see what the fuss was all about'. On the opposite end of the happiness scale was Paddy who against all words of caution decided he had to ask his crush out, a year older housemate, and predictably crashed and burned. His bad mood would've pretty much spoiled the day for everybody if his plan hadn't been utterly dumb. Not that anybody voiced their feelings on the matter.

As the group made their way onto breakfast they passed several snuggled up pairs. It was quite an amusing journey especially with pearls like "If I could reach up and catch a star for every time I think of you, I'd have the whole night sky in the palm of my hands."

"Gay" Graham said derisively. Then he turned to Saeko and shrugged "No offence."

"None taken" the Uchiha replied with a smile, "It **was** disgustingly saccharine."

"Whatever" Paddy grumped. The Ravens just looked at each other and smirked.

"It's pretty calm this year" Daniel spoke up, "remember the Romeo and Juliet thing last Valentines?"

Ash laughed "Oh yeah, that was fun."

"I still don't understand why it mattered the girl was a Gryff and the boy was a Snake" Peter sighed.

"That was not it" Helena corrected her friend in exasperation, "he was from a Dark family while hers is classically Light."

"Bollocks"

"It still matters" Helena held up her hands in surrender.

The discussion delved into a heated argument about the recent civil war, until they sat down at the table where the food distracted them. A multitude of hoots announced the arrival of the daily mail. As usual all the students looked up, trying to disconcert if would receive any love from outside Hogwarts. By the form of letter, not the owls, naturally.

"Shouldn't be crows something like a bad omen on Valentine's day?" Peter mused.

"Why?" Helena said distractedly while opening an envelope.

The boy shrugged "Dunno, they are black, depressing and feed on corpses?"

"So?"

"Nothing I guess" Peter backed off. Ash and Graham sniggered at him while Helena smirked into her yogurt.

Saeko paid no mind to the byplay as she unrolled of one of the scrolls she received - she was curious at its contents since nobody in Konoha would know the significance of the day. It turned out the letter had been from Hinata.

"Bad news?" Ash frowned.

The Uchiha did not reply, instead she abruptly stood up and briskly walked away. Once she reached the big space just outside the Great Hall Saeko sped up into a full run and right into the Forbidden Forest.

One quick reverse summoning, courtesy of Lykke, and Saeko could bark at the nearest raven she spotted "I need Itachi now!"

"Excuse me?" one older raven said tad menacingly and flapped his wings.

"I'm sorry" Saeko rubbed her forehead and began pacing, "I received some news and I need to talk with my brother. Would you please arrange it with the crows?"

The old raven was mollified "Very well. Just sit down and we will bring you the crow summoner."

"Thank you" the kunoichi bowed in thanks.

It only seemed it to be a second and Itachi flew in on one of his own summons. Saeko immediately accosted him "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" the older Uchiha asked in genuine confusion.

"Neji being in the hospital?" Saeko said angrily.

"Oh"

"Yes, oh"

"Well," Itachi shrugged, "he's a little banged up but he'll recover fine. I honestly think Neji's only stalling so he doesn't have to 'fan his fires of youth'."

Saeko chuckled despite herself.

"Did his teammates write you? I didn't know you were friendly with them"

"Hinata wrote me. She is very, very worried" Saeko stressed, trying to pump him for more info.

Itachi raised one of his eyebrows and said nothing.

"Ok, Hinata is a tad overprotective in this regard, but still. Is Neji truly ok, what happened?"

"He is ok. I don't know what happened" Itachi said in a monotone. Then he smirked "His hair got cut though."

Saeko burst into laughter "Really?"

"Only by a little" the Uchiha lord actually chuckled, "like a palm and half."

When the girl finally stopped laughing she said "You don't know what happened on his mission but you know how much hair got cut?"

"It was the more interesting information"

"I bet, everybody knows how some Hyuuga value their long locks" Saeko grinned.

Itachi nodded "I was also busy, we had a little clan problem."

"Oh?"

"Uchiha Atsuhiro almost went rogue"

"What!"

The crow summoner nodded grimly "He got drunk and he stabbed another Konoha nin in a fit of rage over a woman. When he realized he would be arrested he tried to take his chance outside the walls. Fortunately the chuunin police got him before he could lose himself in the forests. Even more fortunately the arresting officer was another Uchiha but it still could've hurt us."

Saeko smirked "Look at you, being all 'lordy'"

Itachi shot his sister an evil look but said nothing.

"Don't worry, I won't compare you with Fugaku" the kunoichi smiled, "There is truly no comparison."

Itachi smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Corridor on the Fourth Floor<strong>

Saeko was quite exhausted but cheerful, she just returned from the summoner's realm and her weekly spar with Itachi. She was making her way to the prefect's bathroom, eagerly anticipating the huge bath pool and all the features such as bubbles and perfumed water.

When she arrived at the door, the password on her lips, she had to sigh in dismay as it seemed it was occupied already. That was the only downside of the luxurious bathroom – it being private meant if you were not invited to share it, you had to wait outside for your turn.

"Mendokse"

Just as the ninja resolved to a long wait, because who in their right mind would rush from such a wonder of magical engineering, the door opened in a cloud of steam.

"Uchiha" said the startled fifth year with damp hair.

"Wood" Saeko greeted the Gryffindor captain.

The two quidditch players squared off. Saeko had a vague feeling there should be dramatic music or at least blowing wind.

When the bathroom door clicked behind the Lion the boy in question spoke "Did you hear the news?"

"Depends on what it is" the Uchiha replied even if the was pretty sure of the information.

"McGonagall told me Snape will be refereeing the next match"

"I did hear that" Saeko admitted.

Wood frowned "Did you happen to hear why? Because all I got was our Head of House snapping at me."

"Nope" the girl shrugged although she had a theory. The last few weeks her summons noticed Snape keeping an eye on the boy-who-lived more than usual. A bit of an overkill with a Konoha kunoichi on the job.

The keeper sighed "Would you be willing to petition his removal from the referee position? After all Snape is not qualified and Madame Hooch is not ill or anything."

"I doubt it would do any good" Saeko sighed as well, "McGonagall is evidently in agreement and probably even Hooch herself – otherwise she would've protested to being replaced. Plus you don't really know anything, maybe Hooch needs to go somewhere."

"True" Wood said in a defeated voice.

"Yup, you're screwed" the scarred girl said cheerily.

"That we are" the Gryff nodded.

Saeko smirked "Your only chance is ending the match before Snape decides it for you."

"Yeah, that's what I figured as well"

"Good luck" the Uchiha sing-songed.

Wood just shot his Ravenclaw counterpart a glare. Saeko smirked in reply. The Gryff never paused his glaring but bid the kunoichi goodnight.

A wave goodbye later Saeko entered the grandiose bathroom which bore no sign of being occupied before. _Gotta love magic_.

Saeko hummed a cheerful tune and selected her favorite faucets, 3, 6 and 10, and waited for the pool to fill up, which actually took only a few moments. She settled in the warm water and sighed in contentment.

This was just what the ninja needed, a nice quiet time to kick back and relax. She had been pleasantly surprised her and Wood didn't argue – she half-expected that since it would've been quite in character with the week she just had.

***Flashback***

"_What is going on?" Saeko asked Terence Higgs as she surveyed the spectacle with what looked was half the school._

_The Slytherin didn__'t tear his eyes from the two fifth years that were brawling, muggle style all the way. They all winced when the blonde of the duo got a clean shot on the brunet's jaw. __"Their fathers had a business together and it went under. Raven here thinks Snake did it on purpose since he__'s now negotiating with their major competitor."_

_Saeko nodded and continued watching the fight. She briefly wondered why no prefect intervened yet but then she spied one talking with one of Helena__'s buddies, obviously placing a bet._

"_I have five sickles on the Snake drawing first blood" Terence shared with a smirk._

"_Loyal" Saeko chuckled. After observing both combatants she was actually more in favor of her housemate, both had no finesse or experience but the Raven was a smidge faster and definitely more pissed off._

_Terence shrugged "Nah, I just know the Snake, when backed into a corner he fights like a girl. And by that I mean very dirty - hair pulling and scratching included."_

"_Ouch" the Uchiha commented._

_Just as the blonde fifth year was tackled to the floor and wrestling began the crowd parted to let professor McGonagall into the ring. She looked absolutely beside herself with fury. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!"_

_Saeko almost chuckled when she noticed all prefects and the head-boy phase into the crowd, trying to escape detection. Naturally she stayed silent as did everybody else, all of them trying to look as innocent and unremarkable as possible._

_McGonagall was in a prime form as she tore into both fifth years. Then when her gaze turned onto the audience everybody promptly lowered their gaze and shuffled their feet. Fortunately there was no subtraction of House points since the Scottish teacher __'was disgusted by everybody in the crowd' for not stopping the fight and instead cheering the pair on._

_As the duo walked behind the retreating teacher and into her office the crowd was slow to disperse. The only problem was that the friends of the two absent quarrelling parties decided to continue the 'discussion' in proxy._

"_I smell trouble" Terence sighed as he turned to leave._

"_Good nose" Saeko nodded._

"_What did you say!" one of the fifth years yelled._

_The Uchiha sighed "Oh boy, why can__'t it be Gryffindor as always?"_

"_This means war!" the Ravenclaw fifth year shouted._

"Here we go_" Saeko thought and rubbed her brow in exasperation, Hogwarts had too much unnecessary drama. She missed Konoha in that regard, there the drama was either political or truly interesting._

***Flashback***

And of course that was before all that drama regarding the _boggart_ that had taken residence on the second floor. It would've been quite funny if the two seventh years who found the creature were not so severely traumatized. Granted, not many would handle well their biggest fear jump them as the couple was about to… well, it was a nice, secluded supply closet.

It caused quite a mayhem before professor Flitwick arrived and _Riddiculus_ed it out. Saeko was not around but it had been the talk of the Castle - ironically it had been considered more dramatic than the troll the previous semester. She was still a bit put out by that, she was curious as to what the _boggart_ would've represented. They had studied the creature under Bangasé but unfortunately only in theory.

Compared to all this, the usual animosity that accompanied the upcoming quidditch match was nothing. Still, the Gryffs were pumped and it showed.

Among other news Harry and his gang finally found out who Flamel was, from a chocolate frogs card no less, and they were all up in arms against their favorite professor. As if Snape would be that transparent.

As if summoned by her thoughts a midnight-black raven flew in though the window. Saeko smiled "If it isn't Skygge junior! How goes it?"

The bird seemed to sigh "Don't call me that, I'm not my mother."

"I know, sorry" the kunoichi smirked, knowing full well they will have this conversation again next time as they did every time in the past.

The raven rolled his eyes and flew onto one of the faucets "Fancy."

"The bathroom? Yeah. Definitely not something we have in Konoha"

"The Konoha baths are very nice. The Uchiha one too" the summon countered.

Saeko chuckled "True, but this one is private and definitely out of Jiraiya's reach."

"The toad pervert?"

"Yup"

"I don't like toads much, but they do make good sake."

"Aren't you a little young to drink sake?"

Zake shrugged "If I'm old enough to accept a mission I'm old enough to drink. By the way following around that Potter brat is not my idea of fun, I'd rather be training."

"Don't you need to grow up some more to be a combat summon?" the Uchiha enquired.

"I can still train. I don't want to be stuck in the shadows all my life"

"eeee" Saeko began, not knowing how to ask what she wanted to know.

"Genetics plays only a part in our growth. Besides I can be small but still deadly" the raven said resolutely.

"True" Saeko nodded. She distinctly remembered the Suna kunoichi she fought against in her chuunin exams – that lady had been the smallest ninja she ever saw, child prodigies included, but boy could she fight.

The raven nodded resolutely "Just give me a few years and you'll be awed by my control over wind."

"Hn" Saeko taunted with a grin.

Zake seemed to mimic it "So, you want my report now?"

"Sure"

The raven stretched his wings "Let me just start by telling you I really don't understand how mom can do this all the time. The brat is boring and there is no fighting whatsoever involved."

"That's actually good news" Saeko smiled.

Zake huffed in displeasure "This mission of yours, this contract, how many zeros before the comma?"

"Lots" the ninja smirked.

"Ah"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: the first few paragraphs were taken from<strong>_** RWBY**_** (I think episode 11, not sure now) but since it was hilarious I just had to use it. Or paraphrase it. Bottom line, that part isn****'t mine.**


	64. 4- 64 Gearing Up

***Gearing Up***

The Ravenclaw quidditch team sat together, eager to go back to their favorite sport even if only as spectators. Not that the team was idle during the winter pause from matches, Saeko made sure of that. Wayne and Rory made a big show of stretching their muscles every time they met her in the common rom. The Uchiha unsurprisingly enjoyed it.

Currently the team was sitting in front row of the stands, feet up, sunbathing in the rare winter sun. And waiting for the show to start.

"This could be fun – look even Dumbledore came to watch" Jared pointed with his chin.

Cameron shrugged "Who wouldn't, Snape is the referee. I wish I brought popcorn."

"Why is Snape even refereeing, Hooch is alright, isn't she?" Rory asked.

"Dunno"

"Let's hope Potter stays on the broom this time" James sneered.

Wayne nodded "Yeah, what was that about. I thought the broom was brand new."

"Maybe it was sabotage"

"Nah, manipulating professionally made brooms is extremely hard" Frost shook his head.

Saeko shrugged "It doesn't really matter, it's not as he could have died anyway. Any of the professors and most of the students would have been able to catch him if he fell"

"So maybe someone tried to scare him"

"We have been over this, it must've been a fluke" James rolled his eyes.

"It's a possibility"

"Shh, it's starting!" Cameron hissed as he noticed movement on the field. The team sat up straighter, eagerly anticipating the match.

"_Good morning ladies and gentlemen, fans of quidditch! Today we shall bear witness to the battle between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Please note that our esteemed potions master went out of his way to referee today's match. A big round of applause in thanks!"_

McGonagall who sat a bit behind the commentator glared at the boy and cleared her throat.

Jordan Lee resumed "_This is the first match of the new semester and I'm sure we are all excited. But none are more excited than the players themselves! And here they come. Representing Hufflepuff…"_

All the players flew into the pitch when their names were called and both team gathered around professor Snape, all of them looking decidedly more uncomfortable than usual. Even the cheers from the crowd were a bit more subdued.

Snape stood there in the middle of the field, his usual black robe bellowing, sneering at the players. The Captains shook hands under the professor's watchful glare. He said nothing but he held up this whistle meaningfully.

"_And it's on, ladies and gentlemen! Bell takes possession of the quaffle…"_

Jared nudged the kunoichi "Maybe Snape will not be that bad…" He was interrupted when Snape promptly issued a penalty shot against the Lions. "…or not."

"Well, Weasley did hit a bludger towards him" Saeko shrugged.

A few minutes later Snape gave yet another penalty in favor of the Hufflepuffs. This time it was for no apparent reason. Well, if you discount the dislike of Gryffindors as a viable one.

The Slytherin fans were obviously amazed and cheered on their head of House. The rest, even the Puffs who stood to benefit, were furious and let their displeasure be known quite loudly.

Meanwhile Potter was circling above the fray like a bird of prey. And then… he dived.

Snape had barely the time to get out of the way as the Gryffindor seeker flew fast him and caught the snitch.

All in all, the match lasted a bit over eight minutes.

Gryffindors cheered while the rest just sat there on the stands, dumbfounded at the sheer luck and yes, a nice set of brass balls Potter displayed when charging the potions master.

"Frost?" Saeko spoke up.

"Yes?"

"How would you like to be known as the man who took The-Boy-Who-Lived down?"

"Wouldn't that make me a Dark Lord?"

The ninja thought for a beat "Nah"

X

**Ravenclaw Tower**

"Well, that was a disappointment" Peter sighed as he sank into one of the couches by the window.

Caitlin rolled her eyes "Really, I couldn't tell by all those people who came up to Saeko and 'hoped the Ravenclaw match will be better'."

"And I assured them as I assure you that it will be epic. As it always it" the Uchiha grinned.

"At least Malfoy getting smacked was fun" Helena smirked, eyes sparkling tad evilly.

Graham grinned "So that's who that blond brat is! Awesome! I actually met his father, what a creep."

The blonde girl nodded "Me too, father does business with Lucius Malfoy on occasion as well."

"He sounds like a hoot" Ash said, not really interested, "Though some of our firsties did complain about a Malfoy."

"That's him" Daniel confirmed.

Saeko chuckled "Lauren actually told me about him. Apparently even his own House thinks he is a douche."

The Ravens laughed. Saeko wanted to say more but was distracted by a crow's caw. She looked over to the window and saw Skygge. Sighing she excused herself to her friends and went up to her room – if her summon deemed it important enough to interrupt her it must be worth hearing.

Apparently Potter overheard the professors Snape and Quirrell and it seems he's taken up a crusade against the potions master. Saeko rolled her eyes, she hoped Potter would develop better instincts it Voldemort is indeed still alive. Still, Snape isn't doing himself any favors by being an ass all the time.

The kunoichi sighed "_Why can__'t my marks just stay put and be boring. I just have the feeling the golden trio will fancy themselves junior investigators and get into trouble."_

* * *

><p><strong>Flitwick<strong>**'s Office**

"I understand the concept, but it still seems far too risky for me. There is no shield that can't be penetrated" Saeko frowned.

"That's why you layer the different protections. Besides, there are not many spells approved by the Dueling Association that can just ignore or shatter multiple shields. Not to mention the other defenses" Flitwick augmented.

The ninja nodded "As I said I understand, but…"

"…it's not your style" the teacher nodded in understanding, "It actually is the very opposite of your style, you are all speed. The 'moving fortress' style user is your natural enemy. You are very energetic and a fortress would just wait it out unless you get creative."

"That I can do" Saeko said, already formulating strategies. "What about a good old-fashioned punch in the face?"

The diminutive professor chuckled "Good shock value but many fortresses include a kinetic barrier. It would work exactly once, if not even that."

"Once is all it takes" the Uchiha repeated the ninja motto.

"Not in a dueling competition" Flitwick reprimanded gently, fully aware of his student's meaning and her career expectations.

Saeko nodded. "How about targeting the very floor the fortress is standing on?"

The charms master beamed "Excellent plan. But quite typical I'm afraid. Still viable though."

"So what would you suggest?"

Flitwick launched into a speech, a big grin on his face, clearly discussing his passion. As he went into detailed strategy Saeko kind of regretted he was not a Konoha nin. He would've made at least tokubetsu jounin, full rank if he had the physique to match.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait" Saeko stopped her favorite teacher (well, now that Deirdre was out), there is a spell that lets you ignore pain for a while?"

"Only a short while" the quarter goblin frowned, "And as I said it's forbidden by the Association. It's a very dark grey, borderline dark."

Saeko nodded, hiding her disappointment "Ah, that's why I haven't read even a hint of it. A pity, it sounds very useful."

"Boosting potions are not permitted in official duels but outside of them can replace this spell entirely" Flitwick said in slight resignation but continued in warning, "They can be addictive, though, and I would not recommend them. I met a former hit-wizard, veteran of the war, who was addicted to several droughts and it was not a pretty sight."

"I understand" Saeko replied. She truly did. "One should not rely on such crutches regardless."

Flitwick perked up again and continued dissecting the fortress style. The man was truly a well of knowledge and Saeko was more than happy to listen and learn. Though, him being a pacifist, Saeko often wondered why was he sharing so much battle knowledge, however theoretical. She wasn't willing to ask lest he stopped. Speaking of continued favor…

"Ah, that reminds me, a little birdie told me that today is your birthday" Saeko smiled and unsealed a package, "You treat me to a lot of tea in this office, so I thought the least I could do is replenish the stock."

The Head of House almost blushed "You shouldn't have miss Uchiha. Thank you." As he inspected the three small tins he got a realization "Who told you?"

"I have my sources" Saeko smiled coyly. At Flitwick's look the brunette surrendered "Ok, professor Sprout. I might've complimented on her gift in greenhouse 3 few months ago and pled for details."

Flitwick smiled and nodded "Thank you again, I'll put it to good use. A cup?"

"No thank you, I had enough. Besides I already took enough of your time, I need to get back to homework. The teachers are being quite hard on us, already hinting at OWLs" Saeko winked.

The professor shrugged with a grin "Indeed. But I'm not scared for my Ravens."

Saeko smirked "We do tend to do well. Although I saw several nervous breakdowns in the Common Room."

Flitwick sighed and shrugged in a 'what can I do' manner. The girl chuckled and nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

"Time" an exhausted voice called from the ground.

"Thank God!" Cameron exclaimed and aimed his broom down. Once his feet touched the grass he just let himself go and fell over like a sack of rice.

Saeko and Jared smirked and went to retrieve the bludgers. The Uchiha took a leaf out of Anko's book and put each and every player on her team though her dodging exercise. Well, with bludgers instead of kunai. Though, those were still an option.

"Is it over?" Caitlin wheezed hopefully. The juniors nodded with pleading eyes while the veteran players were quite resigned.

The scarred teen paused dramatically but then she nodded "Hai, I hereby release you. You may go."

"Yaaaay" the team chorused, too tired to be enthusiastic. Or to even move.

Saeko was grinning as she stuffed the black balls into the appropriate place in the trunk, her team was ready for their upcoming match and they just kept getting better and better. They even laid off the whining about her drill sergeant attitude.

With one last glance at her downed team Saeko set to return to the Castle. Before the kunoichi was out of earshot she turned and yelled "Yo Jared? Are still up for that spar? Tomorrow?"

The beater seemed torn but then he nodded. Wayne shook his head "You're mad bro."

"I think so too" Jared sighed. Saeko smirked as she walked away. She would not normally call what they do a spar but her partner was getting better. The ninja reminded herself to ask if he already thought up what he wanted to do after school. Last time he told her that something would turn up.

Saeko skipped up the steps into the Castle's foyer, ignored the nearest staircase and instead she made her way to the basement and the kitchens. She craved some fruit, Hogwarts served it only at breakfast and not in large quantities. The ninja found it rather typical of the mostly sedentary British wizards.

"Uchiha!"

The brunette withdrew from her thoughts and smiled "Lauren! You wound me every time you don't use my given name. How are you? Where are Lexie and Soldy?"

"They're behind on herbology and I don't like to be pestered with questions, I already helped them with most of the homework" the Slytherin shrugged.

"Ah" Saeko nodded sagely, "Where are you headed?"

Lauren shrugged again "Just out, maybe make a trip outside. You were at the pitch or you merely neglected to shower yesterday?"

Saeko chuckled at her friend's smirk "Yep, quidditch. Speaking of, how is Terence? Scared yet?"

"Let's just say he looks forward to next year when Frost isn't his opposing seeker" the red-head shared after a slight pause, loyalty and all. "Then again, word has spread you are grooming some replacements."

"Hn"

Lauren chuckled "Just tell them to be a bit careful."

"Oh? Is Slytherin thinking on making a move?"

"Just Flint and the team"

"Hm, they could be rather intimidating to my juniors" the ninja mused, "I'll deal with it should it happen. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Really," the Snake stressed, "don't mention it."

Saeko bowed slightly. Shifting her weight onto her other foot she asked "Soo, what's new? I didn't catch you at runes, I was occupied."

"Nothing much. The Wizengamot passed a bill that as a side-effect prevents several exotic medicinal plants into the country" Lauren sighed.

"That sounds improbable" Saeko frowned.

The Slytherin waved it off "I said as a side-effect, an embargo is an embargo. In theory it shouldn't last that long, we'll see."

"Ah, embargo on which country?"

"Do you really care?" Lauren asked with arched eyebrows.

Saeko chuckled sheepishly "Not really, but if you want to vent about it then sure."

"How sweet" Lauren said sarcastically, "but that's ok, it's not like it touches me personally."

"O? I thought your family was in the business. Potion ingredients business that is" the brunette inclined her head in question.

"Oh they are, but as I said I'm not really connected to it" was Lauren's breezy reply.

The Uchiha arched one eyebrow "So you can vent about that then."

"Nah. Besides, I can't do anything till I turn seventeen"

"Why does it feel that every time we speak outside of class problems with your family pop up" Saeko frowned.

"Huh, you're right. Well, let's speak of something else then. How's your family doing for a change?" Lauren asked, genuinely curious.

"It was not meant as a dismissal of your issues, far from it. It was a mere observation" Saeko hastily explained.

Lauren chuckled "I know. Besides you being always so secretive makes me want to ask and now it was the perfect opportunity."

"Guilting me won't work" Saeko smiled cheekily, "but my family's doing fine. Nii-san is doing very well even if he has a distaste for politics. Many of my clansmen are in law-enforcement but Itachi-nii still managed us to get more popular than during out father's reign."

"You admire your brother very much" Lauren observed with a soft smile, Saeko beamed and nodded. "I kind of wish I had a sibling too" the Slytherin said tad sadly.

Saeko wasn't really sure what to say. She briefly contemplated some cliché like 'you can make your own family' and things like that, but Lauren seemed only close to Isolde and Alexia and it still didn't scream of friendship for life. Finally she settled on "He's the best."

"Sure sounds like it. Well, I better go. Or rather you better go, you really need that shower" Lauren forced a smirk.

"Hn" Saeko replied for lack of better thing to say. The red-head shook her head with smile and waved in goodbye. "Hey Lauren! Are you a member of any clubs here at Hogwarts?"

"Like what? Gobstones?" the Slytherin scoffed. "Or form a choir?" she snorted.

"Nevermind"


	65. 4- 65 To Arms!

***To Arms!***

**History of Magic Classroom**

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more" Ashley said as she sat down at her table and closed her eyes.

"It's not _that_ bad" Saeko smirked at her friend.

Helena shrugged "Sure, if you are thinking of this class as a free period."

"Which I am" the Uchiha smiled and unsealed a book.

"There you go" Helena said sweetly as she turned back to Ashley.

The small brunette sighed "I weep for our futures."

"Don't be so dramatic, we have to read up on history to pass the exams after all. We are not deprived in this subject" the blonde rolled her eyes, "Now be a good girl, sit down and stop whining."

"Yes, mom" Ashley mumbled but obeyed. Saeko snickered.

Professor Binns choose this moment to glide though the blackboard "Good afternoon, students. Today we will be discussing the goblin warlord Khuk the Ugly…"

"Ugh" the class exclaimed in unison and was completely ignored by the ghost.

As the professor started his lecture the students settled in their routines – Helena was doing her manicure, Daniel was reading yet another mystery novel, Caitlin and Graham were playing hangman. Some Slytherins decided to read the newspaper, Lauren included, and the rest settled into their afternoon nap or were reading a book. The precious few were doing homework for another class.

Spotting the dust under the windowsill Saeko decided on a fuuton exercise. She slid from her chair to grab a handful, careful to dismiss the more disgusting elements, quite grateful for her habit of wearing gloves. As she settled back into her spot she cast a glance around but nobody seemed to care, especially Binns. Saeko had a fleeting thought that even if she were to dance on her desk he would probably still ignore her.

Soon enough she had a small dust twister was hovering over her upturned palm. As she watched the grains dance in the breeze she was reminded of Naruto. Well, the rasengan and then the blond menace.

Saeko hummed and ceased to pump chakra into the vortex and let the dust fall back on the ground. Instead she unsealed a blank parchment and started writing a letter to her rival to the Hokage hat.

She was in the middle of writing a letter to Yuuko, when a scrunched up paper landed on her desk. Saeko sighed, getting mail from Slytherins just before a quidditch match was always so much fun. Especially from Cassius Daly, one of Kerr's posse. And sure it was a threatening note.

"What did you get?" Graham said sharply, brow creased in worry.

Saeko smiled brilliantly and decided to have her fun "A love letter. Thank you Cassius, but you're not really my type. I appreciate the sentiment though. Especially the poem."

Daly spluttered and went red as a lobster in both rage and embarrassment. His friends seemed torn between laughing and dishing out payback.

Graham's eyes lit up "Oooh, I feel for you Daly. Love hurts, man."

"Don't worry, there are plenty fish in the sea" Paddy said mournfully, not bothering to keep his smirk off his face.

"_For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,  
>Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda<em>," Saeko intoned, wiping a fake tear from her eye.

The Ravenclaws snickered.

Helena's eyes shot up from her work, recognizing Edgar Allan Poe "May I?"

Saeko obliged. The blonde pretended to read and continued reciting the poem from memory

"_Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling lies  
>Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.<br>Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasure  
>Divine- a talisman- an amulet<br>That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure-  
>The words- the syllables! Do not forget<em>"

The Ravens erupted in laughter. Peter cat-called "Damn, Daly! That is great. I didn't know you were such a poet."

Caitlin began clapping. Graham and Paddy soon followed. Then the dam broke and all the fourth year Ravenclaws gave a grand applause. And that was even before the guys stood up for a standing ovation."

"What is happening?" professor Binns exclaimed with a surprisingly strong voice.

"We are just applauding the tactic the goblin general Grigahh used in the battle of Shadowstone. Truly remarkable" Ashley utilized her historical knowledge.

"Oh" the ghost nodded, "It was quite novel, but I would prefer if you calmed down. Besides, it only gets better. Now, as I said, general Grigahh decided on…"

The Ravens obediently sat down but their grins stayed firmly in place. Saeko winked at Cassius Daly, folded the threatening note and blew him a kiss.

"We gotta spread this" Caitlin whispered to Graham. He grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

The Ravenclaw quidditch team decided to meet after breakfast, instead eating with their respective friends. Saeko's only instruction was to eat light and not to dally. Oh, and being wary of Slytherin fans was a given.

"So ready for today?" Peter asked while spooning up his oatmeal.

Saeko rolled her eyes "You know we train pretty much all year round, right? Almost twice as much before a match."

"I can testify to that" Caitlin shivered, remembering the pain from the aforementioned training sessions.

The Uchiha smirked in satisfaction "And I already had this conversation with Jamie just a little while ago, so please change the topic."

"No can do" Graham chimed in, "it's pretty much the only thing everybody will talk about today."

Caitlin nodded sagely "He's right. What else should we be excited about? The new potions homework?"

"Hn"

"Oh and Leroy told me to tell you that 'you better kick the Snake's ass'" the Irish girl relayed.

"You're still seeing him?"

"We are… talking" Caitlin shrugged.

"Uh-huh" Saeko smirked.

"That's not what it means" the red-head shook her head with a laugh.

Saeko pouted "Then what does it mean?"

Caitlin shrugged and stayed silent. Since she seemed resolute not to share Graham picked up the slack "So guess who is having a date for the match?"

"I dunno, Daniel?" Caitlin said sweetly.

The bespectacled boy smirked "Not me, but maybe Paddy?"

"Guys!"

"Sorry, your face was hilarious. So who is she?" Caitlin asked.

Graham gave them a reproaching glare but then he puffed up proudly "Myra Allen."

Saeko's head shot up from her breakfast "The annoyingly perky Gryffindor in our year? I met her on the train in the first ride over."

"Really? I was actually stuck with Graham here. And your pal from Slytherin" Caitlin shared.

"Cool. I was with Helena and… A propos, where is the rest?" Saeko started but was interrupted by Graham

"Hey! Who cares! Be in awe of me and congratulate me!" Graham demanded with a pout.

Daniel, Caitlin and Saeko chorused "Oooooooooh."

"Good job mate!"

"Way to go!"

"Congrats!"

Graham sighed "You killed it. I'm outta here."

As he went away the other three Ravens high-fived. Saeko grinned "I meant it though, where is the rest?"

"I know Helena is reading upstairs so she doesn't get caught up in all this quidditch rubbish. And yes, that was a quote" Daniel tapped his chin, "And I'm not sure about the rest."

The Uchiha shrugged "Well, I don't really care, I have to go. I'll see you at the victory party."

"I sure hope so. The victory part I mean"

"Pshh" Saeko waved it off, "We got a standing plan B if things happen to go sour."

"Oh?"

The ninja grinned widely "It involves the opposing seeker, blood and violence."

"Oh"

X

"Cold but not unbearably so, overcast" Saeko mused.

"I like it" Frost hummed as he came to stand beside his captain.

Wayne joined them "How's the turnout?"

"Actually most people seem to have joined the emerald squad"

"Whaaaat?" Wayne exclaimed and went to look.

Frost shrugged "It seems people are a bit fed up with us winning all the time."

"It's half and half. We got Gryffs on our side and they got the Puffs" Frost corrected.

"Let me guess, 'it's not fair you win all the time'" Cameron put on a mocking falsetto voice, "Fucking Badgers" he finished normally.

Rory chimed in "It's not like it matters, we're going to in anyway."

"Yeah" James sighed, "With just a small detour to the infirmary to get healed all those bruises. I hate playing the Snakes."

"But utterly destroying them is fun, isn't it?" Saeko said sweetly.

"Yeah" the rest of the team chorused dreamily.

"So let's do it!"

"YEAH!"

The wait was not long and Lee Jordan, the commentator, called the Ravenclaw players to the field. It was decided that this time they would simply walk, no added theatrics or effect. Well, if you discount arrogant swagger and looking mean.

"Good morning Flint, I see you didn't get your teeth fixed from the last time. Oh wait, that's how it always looked" the Uchiha trash talked.

The Slytherin growled "We're going to end you!"

"Hm, I'm sorry?" Saeko pulled a flawless Kakashi.

Madame Hooch rolled her eyes "Ok, alright, shake hands. And remember, I want a clean game."

Both quidditch captains made a face and resisted snorting. _Clean game, yeah, right._

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Tower<strong>

Saeko smiled as she finished writing into her 'mahoujutsu' scroll which was coming along rather nicely. Three years in this place and she already amassed enough techniques that she could theoretically found a whole new village or clan. Even yesterday's charm had been a wonderful addiction to the still growing jutsu library.

As she stood up and stretched her legs she decided to go see what her friends had been up to.

She was still only on the first floor of the Ravenclaw Tower but she could already tell the Common Room was quite full and very animated.

Swiftly descending the last few stairs she was met by quite a sight. Sure, most of the Ravens were sitting on the sofas and on the ground by the fire like usual but the others were parched atop various pieces of furniture, se jumping from their various perches onto others. The Uchiha was also surprised the majority of the weirdoes were sixth and seventh years.

The ninja chuckled as she made that final step into the large space when a voice shouted "STOP!"

"Why?" asked the bewildered Saeko.

"The floor is lava" Rory, one of her chasers, replied with a huge grin.

Saeko actually looked down, one could never really tell with magic and all. But alas both the wooden floor and carpet were perfectly intact and harmless.

Rory and his friends began to giggle, soon followed by their classmates. Saeko just chuckled again and shook her head. She made her way towards her friends who were enjoying the spectacles of hopping upperclassmen.

"What is that?" Saeko asked.

Helena pursed her lips and answered "Apparently 'tis a muggle children's game. Personally I just think the pressure of NEWTs was too much and they cracked."

The group chuckled at the dry delivery. Graham gently elbowed the blonde "It's actually quite fun."

"How do you even know it?" the Grey heiress inquired. Graham just shrugged.

Saeko smiled, enjoying the easy banter. She settled into the sofa next to Ashley who was gracious enough to scoot up and set to watch the show. "Oh, shit!"

"What is it?" her roommate asked, her eyes never leaving a sixth year who was balancing on one leg on the fireplace arch.

"The brunette, four o'clock"

"Yes?"

Helena looked as well "It's that slut Saeko slept after the victory party."

"Oh, yeah. Her" Ash shrugged.

"I thought you said you are slowing down with sleeping around" Caitlin said nonchalantly.

"However foolish decision that might've been" Graham muttered and was ignored.

Saeko shrugged "I'm. But that was a victory party. Victory! I thought I would celebrate."

"Sure, whatever floats your boat"

"I sense judgment" the ninja said grumpily.

"Because I am judging you" Helena said with a sweet smile, "So what's up with her?"

Saeko squirmed uncomfortably "She's a bit creepy."

Helena's eyes glinted "Creepy how?"

"I seem to run into her everywhere."

"I bet you…" Graham started, earning a glare from the ninja "No innuendos please! This is serious."

"You mean like she's following you around? Like a stalker?" Ash said with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah"

The blonde pureblood burst into laughter. One that didn't seem to cease. Saeko huffed "It's not funny. A tiny bit flattering, but still creepy and not funny in the least."

"If you say so" Helena said, finally calmed down enough to merely chuckle.

"_Kuso_! She's coming over here! Hide me!" the ninja said and covered her eyes in exasperation.

"Yeah, I tried that trick when I was three. It didn't work" Peter said in a serious manner. The group broke into snickers.

"Hilarious. Seriously though, help me!" Saeko hissed. She was met by several amused looks and shakes of head. Helena mouthed '_karma_'.

The ninja quickly calculated the distance and decided to plead one more time "Come on, it's not that hard. Try ' I'm Daniel and I'll be your distraction! '" The boy in question flipped her off.

"Hello Saeko" the stalkery brunette said dreamily when she approached the group. The Uchiha put on a reasonably believable smile and stood up.

The two girls left to speak privately and the eyes of the little poker group followed them. Ashley sighed "She should be careful, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned after all."

"This isn't going to end well" Daniel said worriedly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I know you guys wanted a big quidditch match but it just wouldn´t come. Sorry... I´ll make it up to you during the GryffRaven match. Scout´s honor**


	66. 4- 66 Nowhere to Hide

***Nowhere to Hide***

"You've got a shadow" Daniel said tiredly as he looked up from his breakfast.

"I know" Saeko gritted her teeth and sat beside him.

Helena pursed her lips "This has been going on long enough. Lose her."

"It's not that simple" the Uchiha sighed in frustration, "I spoke to her already. When she approached me the morning after I told her I don't wish to date and she said she understood. Next time I look over my shoulder, there she is again. So I talk to her again and she is perfectly reasonable but it still changed nothing."

"Maybe take it up to Flitwick?" Daniel proposed.

The blonde pureblood shrugged "She isn't really doing anything. Let's see how it turns out. My guess she will tire of it soon enough."

"You think?" Saeko asked hopefully.

"Or maybe she will not. She will stalk your every move and eventually she will kidnap you, hide you in the dungeons, keep you in chains and then finally kill you and herself to be together forever" Helena said nonchalantly.

Both Saeko and Daniel looked at their friend utterly shocked. Helena just smirked "Just joking."

"I'm scared" Daniel stage whispered to the ninja. Saeko just nodded, still looking at the blonde quite impressed. She always knew Helena was T&I material.

"Who died?" Ashley asked cheerily as she and Peter sat down to breakfast.

Saeko and Daniel snorted. The boy shook his head "Bad wording."

"Oookay?" Ash shrugged, "What's up?"

"Danielle the stalker"

Peter looked around "Still at it, huh?"

"Yep"

Saeko sighed "Let's just eat."

Ashley shook her head, now positively horrified "NO! We have to talk. About something. Anything!"

"Why?" Daniel asked, bewildered.

Helena just rolled her eyes "I knew this day would come, everybody went crazy."

"No, I just have a tune in my head and I can't get it out. I feel I'm on the verge of humming it since the moment I woke up. It's awful" the small brunette shivered.

"What song it is?" Saeko asked.

"I WAS TRYING TO FORGET IT!"

"Oops" the ninja shrugged.

Peter snorted "It's the one from the stupid radio commercial for that cleaning solution, the one that goes…"

The boy nearly gets tackled off the bench by his childhood friend who looked positively rabid. Helena smirked and began humming.

"Bitch" Ashley breathed out and sagged in her seat in resignation. The blonde shrugged unapologetically.

"Look, the mail" Daniel tried to divert their attention.

"Sweet, I wanted to check the quidditch league results!" Graham arrived just in time, closely followed by Paddy and Caitlin.

Several owls dropped their letters in front of the fourth year Ravenclaws, a crow amongst them. Before Saeko could get to her scroll a loud whine emanated from Paddy.

When the boy just continued reading Helena prompted "Patrick?"

"Hm?"

The whole poker group looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Oh, yeah well. My older sister is getting married. She's a control freak even on a normal day, but with a wedding to organize… This will be a nightmare!"

"Sounds about right" Caitlin nodded sagely, "A cousin of mine is the same. The muggles have a term for this – bridezilla."

Patrick snorted "Seems appropriate."

"Why? What does it mean?" Graham asked.

Ashley and Peter jumped in to help the pureblood get the muggle reference. Saeko listened with interest until she noticed one of her letters was from Ino, not someone who usually wrote. The ninja immediately opened the letter, afraid for Shikamaru.

After reading the first few sentences Saeko sighed in relief, Shika was safe. On the other hand Ino's gossip sense flared up when she overheard her father talk to Yuuko at T&I about Saeko. And now she was flat out asking if Saeko was sleeping with her favorite cousin. Joy.

"Stop it!" Ash kicked Saeko under the table.

The scarred teen looked up "I beg your pardon?"

"You were humming" Ashley said in distaste, making it absolutely clear as to what was being hummed.

"Sorry" Saeko shrugged, she didn't even realize.

Caitlin lit up "That was from the cleaning commercial on the radio, right?"

"I love it, it's really catchy" Paddy chimed in.

Graham began humming as well "Man, that's going to be in my head all day."

"Ugh!" Ash banged her head onto the table.

* * *

><p><strong>Infirmary<strong>

"Yo"

To the ninja's surprise Lauren didn't even blink "Hello Uchiha."

Saeko pouted "I told you to call me by name, I do it."

"Wouldn't go well with my cold bitch persona" the Slytherin smirked.

Saeko couldn't help laughing, this was a good one, she would remember it. Lauren looked over her shoulder to check the entrance to the infirmary "Where's your puppy?"

"Puppy?" the brunette asked even if she had an inkling.

"The girl that started to follow you around on occasion and stares at you as the second coming of Merlin" the snake said in mild disgust.

"Hn"

"Eloquent"

"Hn. I managed to ditch her" Saeko sighed, "So, what's new? Where is Madame Pomfrey?"

Lauren smiled genuinely "She left me in charge while she's out for a bit."

"Wow, that's big" the brunette said, impressed, "So you could actually heal the usual stuff that comes here?"

"Yes. Madame Pomfrey was very gracious with her knowledge. And of course I have plenty of books on the subject" Lauren boasted.

Saeko hummed "Hey, how come Pomfrey can teach you without your NEWTs?"

The red-head smirked "She doesn't teach me, she gives me tips."

"Ah" the ninja chuckled, gotta love technicalities, "By any chance do you know which House she used to be in?"

"My own, naturally" the Slytherin's smirk deepened.

"Ha! That wins me a bet!"

"Grey's doing I believe"

"Who else" Saeko shrugged, "You got someone similar?"

"A fifth year, McBride. He actually set up a room in the Dungeon dedicated to card games. Boys only" Lauren pursed her lips.

Saeko rolled her eyes "Figures."

"So what brought you here? I see no visible injury and you seem ok" the Snake observed.

The Uchiha arched an eyebrow and folded her arms "Shouldn't that be the first question a medic asks?"

"You're tough, you could take it" Lauren shrugged, "And don't deflect."

"I needed to lose the puppy"

"So you ran here?" Lauren snickered.

"I walked" Saeko shrugged.

"I take back the toughness comment" the pureblood laughed, "I could change it to heartbreaker, although that still doesn't explain why you got her following you around."

Saeko shrugged, her Uchiha mask up. Lauren sighed as well "Come on, tell me."

"It's nothing, she's only a bit cray cray."

"Don't make me say please. I'm curious. Or I can start guessing" the red-head prompted. When the Raven still said nothing Lauren tapped her chin in thought.

"Just leave it, it will pass"

The Brit sighed "Alright. You're not fun."

Saeko refrained from comments like 'that's not what she said', instead she asked "So what do you do for fun? We always talk politics, our families or runes."

Lauren seemed to ponder that for a moment "I like muggle kung fu films."

"Oh? How come? Purebloods usually don't follow anything muggle. I must confess I know nothing about them" the ninja blinked in surprise.

"My father liked them" was the simple reply.

Something told Saeko not to pry further so instead she said "Well, I don't know any kung fu but I do know several martial arts."

"I heard" Lauren nodded. After a beat of silence she exclaimed "Look at us! Someone might even think we are friends!"

"You aren't?" Madame Pomfrey said as she strode into her domain and straight to her desk.

"Sure we are" Saeko said chipperly, "Good afternoon, Madame Pomfrey."

The woman nodded "Yes. Now miss Uchiha, are you injured? Sick?"

"I came for the company"

"More like for the absence of company" the red-head smirked.

Pomfrey made a shooing motion with her hand "If you don't need a healer's attention the please go, I need miss Lewis for a bit."

"Very well" Saeko sighed and stopped leaning on one of the hospital beds, "Bye, gals!"

Lauren nodded while the nurse returned to her papers. As the ninja was leaving the infirmary she noticed the elder woman began whistling softly.

Saeko had to grin, that fucking tune sure was infectious.

* * *

><p><strong>Charms Classroom<strong>

Saeko was thoroughly imitating Shika by apparently sleeping in her seat so she could avoid the 'troublesome' argument one row behind her. Apparently Graham and Paddy got married when she wasn't paying attention.

"So I forgot, sue me!" Graham exclaimed.

Paddy poked his friend on his chest "But not for the first time! We made plans and you stood me up."

Everybody in hearing distance smirked at the wording but continued to play the uninterested card.

"I'm sorry!"

"I get it you're dating now, but you ditched your friends" the Irish boy accused.

"Don't drag Myra into this!"

"Oh, please, like she's not already involved"

"You…"

Professor Flitwick strode into the room and ordered "Settle down!"

Graham and Patrick glared at each other one more time but both shut up. The rest of the fourth year Ravens sighed in relief and opened their books.

"Alright class, let's try something new. Read up the introduction to chapter 35 and let me know what do you think about it" the teacher instructed.

"Nice!" one of the Ravenclaws exclaimed.

"We think it's awesome" another chuckled.

Flitwick shook his head with a smile "Let me guess, you read ahead."

The Ravens nodded eagerly while the Puffs rolled their eyes and started on Banishing.

Once the students started fidgeting, a clear signal of having finished reading, Flitwick began his lecture in the fullest. Graham and Paddy continued their argument silently, shooting glares at each other, much to everybody's annoyance. Saeko wasn't in the mood to participate, she already was quite confident in the matter at hand and her Housemates would manage to score points on their own.

Instead she took up a scroll she had been given by a distant cousin of hers, he was a tantō user like herself and hoped to invent a kenjutsu style for it. It was not that often an Uchiha tried to create something original in place of merely copying with their sharingan.

Between her kenjutsu studies, purely theoretical if you discount using a quill to mimic some of the grips and slashes, and casting the spell every time it was needed, the class passed quite fast.

When the bell rang Flitwick holstered his wand and with a smile he dismissed the class. "And please try to practice, I can safely say that both summoning and banishing will be one of the things asked in the Charms OWLs" he finished.

The students stood up, talking between themselves, mostly about the new charm an all the possibilities that came with it, some were rushing to their dorms for some thing or other. And a few were still plagued by the tune, now dubbed 'the forbidden and addictive Thing'. The Brits really had no talent in naming things, one other example being The-Boy-Who-Lived. Well… Jiraiya had some stories about the Yondaime and his naming skills – who knew the big hero Namikaze Minato was the leader of 'The Village with Stupendously Fantastic Beautiful People Who Live in the Emerald Trees'. Apparently the rasengan was even more hilarious and the actual name was given it by the sage himself.

"Miss Uchiha, if you could stay behind?" Flitwick called. Saeko blinked in confusion but obliged.

When everybody was out the professor approached the ninja who sat down in the front row "I understand you had a small problem regarding a fellow Raven, Danielle Latham?"

Before Saeko could protest or explain the teacher held up her hand and continued speaking "I talked to her. She will follow you no more."

"Sir" Saeko just nodded even if she was dying to ask for more details.

Flitwick sighed "I don't usually interfere in personal matters of the students unless there is serious cause. Still, we talked things over and the matter should be resolved."

Saeko shot the man semi-grateful look.

"Also, I'm aware that is not my business, but I would appreciate if you toned down your… womanizing ways. Japan might be more liberal about this but here in Britain, among the magical society I mean, are things tad bit restrained."

"I understand"

"Good, I would prefer not having another student in tears because the woman who, and I quote 'opened her eyes to her being a witches witch' doesn't reciprocate her feelings."

"Oh"

"Indeed. Also consider that you might be quite mature for your age but others might not" Flitwick pressed on.

Saeko nodded "Avoid teenage drama, I get it."

The Charms Master regarded his student for a beat and then nodded as well "That'd be best."

"Aye"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think I´ll have another chapter ready for Xmas but just in case - have great holidays! I´ll take reviews for presents, thank you :-)<strong>


	67. 4- 67 See It Coming

***See It Coming***

**Hogsmeade**

"Helena couldn't be bothered by fresh air?" Daniel said as he saw Saeko and Ashley approach.

The smaller brunette shrugged "She said she could always open a window."

"You here alone?" Saeko asked.

Daniel shrugged "Graham is on a date, so is Caitlin. Paddy is with some Hufflepuff friends of his from Muggle Studies and I think the rest of the Ravens stayed at the Tower."

"And you?"

"I decided to take a walk. Maybe look for some new books" the boy held up his new purchases, "Oh and I think I saw your ex."

"Faith?"

"Yup, I'm sorry to report she is on a date as well" he said sadly.

"Hn"

Ashley looked around "Who?"

"Some fellow Puff girl" was the report, "Saeko is much prettier."

The Uchiha in question chuckled "Thanks. So, now that you have your books do you have any plans? Cause me and Ash came only because we were bored at the Castle."

"We could get something to eat at Rosmerta's" Daniel shrugged.

Ash hummed "I could eat."

The Uchiha pondered it for a while – she was a little bit peckish but she was suddenly craving dango. A very tempting idea wormed her way into the ninja's mind. Then again, hopping in Konoha and back would not be that crazy. Even if only for takeout.

"Saeko?" Ashley said in concern.

"You know what, I think I'll pass. I'll see you at the Castle" Saeko said and with a grin she hurried in the direction of the shrieking shack, leaving her bewildered friends behind.

The procedure was rather complicated but twenty minutes later Saeko was standing before her brother in the Uchiha compound. Itachi was in his ANBU armor, clearly just off duty. He arched an eyebrow and asked "What is the emergency?"

"I never said it was an emergency" Saeko clarified.

"But surely it must be since you are here" the Uchiha lord said dryly.

Saeko rubbed the back of her neck "Weeeell, there is no emergency. We had a day off and the mission is still well underway. So I decided to pop in Konoha for a spell."

"Unprofessional"

The girl hung her head, entirely aware of the fact.

"See that is doesn't happen again" Itachi sighed. At his sister's nod he continued "But I'm glad to see you, our platoon is really busy right now. I'm sorry about the spars."

"I understand you can't make it every week, between your duties to the village and to the clan…" Saeko trailed out, "You are a wonderful brother, you know."

Itachi stoic expression never wavered but his eyes sparkled in happiness "Good to know. Now, do whatever you came to Konoha to do and try to be on the down low."

"That means I should change, huh" Saeko mused when her brother left the room.

After putting on the traditional Uchiha garb Saeko made her way though her clan's district. She enjoyed being at Hogwarts a great deal but nothing could beat home - the smell, the sights, the faint shouts of 'youth' in the distance…

"Saeko-sama!"

The scarred jounin turned and smiled "Misaki-san! How are you?"

"Like always" the woman smiled back, "The kids keep me busy."

Saeko looked past Misaki at the yard where four boys between the ages eleven and ten were training. Those almost genin were a far cry from the pasty-looking, weak Brits that came to be sorted at Hogwarts. "They are looking good."

Misaki grinned and invited Saeko to lunch. The girl hesitated, because dangō, but Misaki's cooking was renown. Besides, Saeko liked the woman – she was a civilian, never awoke her sharingan, and she took care of the children whose parents were in Fugaku's council. Orphans, that is.

As Saeko was scarfing down her huge lunch the matron updated her on Uchiha matters and gossip. And, naturally, the progress of both her children and her charges. As a bonus the jounin had to endure a slight guilt trip about her lack of training tips.

The best part though was the fishing expedition on the future Mrs. Itachi Uchiha. If the food wasn't just _that_ excellent Saeko would be annoyed. As it was she dutifully answered the questions about Mihane and gave the couple her blessing. It seemed like a big deal after the concerns about the potential of the future Uchiha heir voiced by some clansmen. Even with Fugaku gone the clan's policy was quite predictable.

"Well, I'm afraid I have to go" Saeko said in fear the next topic in line would be her own love life, "Thank you for the food, it was delicious as always."

Misaki nodded with a smirk, fully aware of the girl's reasoning "Of course. Please come by soon."

"Of course" the teen nodded with a smile and took off hastily.

Looking at the sky to gauge the time Saeko decided to take a quick tour of the shops in her Clan's district. She was especially interested in any treats she could bring back to Hogwarts with her. And some dango to snack on later, even after the delicious meal she was in the mood for them.

"Still here?"

Saeko chuckled "You sure make a girl feel welcome, niisan."

"Hn"

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going" the girl sighed, "I'm done shopping anyway. Mochi?"

Itachi looked torn between his role as the stoic Uchiha Lord and his sweet tooth. Finally he took the offered rice cake. At his sister's smirk he said "Just go."

"Yeah, yeah"

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

The room was quite full, the ever studious Ravens had realized the exams were approaching and were pouring over books, never mind April hasn't ended yet. The professors seemed to share this state of mind and piled up homework for every year, especially the fifth and seventh ones.

Since professor Kettleburn blew himself up again, or something along those lines, his Ravens returned to their Nest and joined their housemates in self-study. The rest of the fourth years joined the Care group after the bell rang.

Only when the sky turned red the students began to stand up from their lairs full of books and study material. In the fourth year group Paddy was the first to close his book for Muggle Studies and gingerly stretch his legs. He was quickly followed suit by all his friends.

Nobody spoke, all of them rather tired. Finally Saeko broke the silence "Dinner?"

"Sounds good" Graham said eagerly.

It seemed the entirety of the Ravenclaw House had the same idea. The Raven procession made its way into the Great Hall. Their appearance gave credit to all the bookish and studious stereotypes the other Houses were fond of recounting. Their hasty exit only reinforced this notion.

Only when the blue-tied students returned into their Common Room they became more animated and finally traded study for play.

Helena and Saeko settled into a game of chess while the rest of their little group of friends decided on Exploding Snap. The ninja was even nice enough to share a small bottle from her hidden stash of Konoha alcohol - they deserved it and she was too tired to resist the puppy-dog eyed expressions.

"Goddammit!" Peter exclaimed after a particularly loud explosion, "Ok, I'm out!"

"Come on" Caitlin rolled her eyes, "It's just a little burn."

The boy scoffed "I don't want to end up like Kettleburn, I know when to quit."

Ashley chuckled "I don't know, a peg leg might suit you."

"Pass"

"Why? I could use that for my Divination homework" Graham grinned.

Caitlin nodded vigorously "Yeah, Trelawney would love that!"

"Totally! I would get an Outstanding for sure" Graham said excitedly and was awarded by a frosty glare, courtesy of Peter.

Helena rolled her eyes and moved her bishop piece. Saeko was more interested in the conversation "What kind of homework is that? Predicting classmate's futures?"

"Yup. Tarot cards"

The jounin hummed and toyed with her queen piece "So let's hear it."

"Huh?" was Graham's eloquent reply.

"Aaah" Caitlin said in a deep and wise voice, "the young lady wants to know what will happen next. Maybe a dark eyed beauty to love or a successful job? Let's find out. Graham, fetch the cards."

The boy sighed at being the assistant but replied "At once, Mama C."

Everybody chuckled at his choice of address. While Graham was searching for the tarot cards upstairs in his room Caitlin took one of the blankets from a nearby sofa and draped it over herself. Helena shook her head at her friends' attempt to look more mysterious but offered "Do you want some smoke? I could channel it from the fireplace."

"Oh, yes. See to it" the red-head said imperiously.

With the smoke, the darkness mitigated only by the light of the fire the atmosphere was ideal for Mama C to work. When Graham came jogging down the stairs he bowed and presented the tarot cards. Caitlin took them with a nod and started shuffling. Then she looked at Saeko and said in a raspy voice "Come here, girl, let's take a peek at your future."

After doing the spread Caitlin frowned in mock concentration "Aaah, my dear girl, you need to be careful - I see a woman, a beautiful woman but with a wicked heart. After the messy breakup you will decide to become a hermit and seek enlightenment. You will live in the desert, a nice hut built with your own two hands. With the heat and the cactus juice the hallucinations will come. Thinking you found god you will return triumphant back to society and found a religion. You will live as a priest until the day you die of natural causes."

Saeko gasped theatrically "A priest? I hope not a celibate one!"

The group chuckled and shook their head with smiles on their lips. Paddy smirked "You can do better, _Mama C_."

"The mister is next then" the Irish girl grinned and reshuffled her cards. "Aaah," she started, "I see a great love, a love between a man and his sheep."

Patrick spluttered while the rest laughed. Caitlin ignored her friend's protests and continued "After a few months of happiness with your fluffy girlfriend tragedy strikes - a plague washes over the land and Matilda dies with her herd."

"Matilda?" Paddy exhaled in disbelief. Ashley shushed him.

"Drinking your grief away at Hog's Head you get recognized as Dumbledore's long lost grandson. Confused and angry you flee into the countryside but alas fate strikes again. This time in the form of a vampire coven which decided you would be a marvelous sex slave."

"Wha-?"

"Kidnapped, chained but never bitten you manage to escape month later. You will write a book on the experience which becomes a bestseller. Filthy rich but known to have a vampiric STD you spend your days as a muggle movie director of B rated horror films. You die alone in a mansion in Wiltshire."

The group fell into an appreciative silence at Caitlin's convoluted, if depressing, story. Even the unfortunate victim of her prediction had to give her an O for effort. "Forewarned, huh" Paddy shook his head.

Graham shrugged "Now do me!"

Helena snorted in laughter, as did Saeko. The rest of the group was not far behind. Graham turned beet red "Get your minds out of the gutter! Now continue!"

"Aaaah," Caitlin started anew.

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

"Tell me it isn't true" Paddy sat down heavily at the Ravenclaw table.

"It isn't true" Saeko replied dryly. The boy sighed in relief, smile on his face up to the moment when Saeko asked "What is?"

Dramatically near tears Patrick explained "I heard a Gryff in Muggle studies tell that the Weasleys declared a prank war on Peeves."

"I always thought they were barmy" Helena remarked. All ravens nodded solemnly.

"We haven't really seen any pranks and Leroy said the same. I guess they are planning the war or it was only an idea. I sure hope it was a purely theoretical debate" Caitlin remarked.

Graham chuckled "Amen sister"

"We did have a suspiciously calm April Fools" Saeko hummed.

"Relatively" Ash agreed.

Pater sighed "You think they want to compensate?"

"Could be, I have no insight into their twin madness" the small brunette replied.

Helena looked up from her book with a cruel smirk "I think the greatest prank ever would be if we managed to exorcise Peeves."

Everybody fell silent, looking at the blonde in various stages of disbelief. Finally Ashley spoke up "I think Binns would be a better target."

"Ash!" Peter admonished his childhood friend.

"What? We all know he's utterly useless" the girl defended.

Pater crossed his arms on his chest "He is still a living being."

"Debatable" Helena said airily.

"You know what I mean, it would border on murder" the boy turned to face the blonde.

"Again, debatable"

Patrick took his friend's side "Shush, you. It still is putting someone sentient into non-existence"

"Very nicely put" Saeko was impressed.

"Really, I would've thought you would be the first to join the exorcist squad" Peter sniped.

"I don't really care either way to be honest. Besides I only said I liked Peter's phrasing" the sharingan user shrugged.

"Out of curiosity, would it be illegal?" Daniel asked.

"An exorcism? I don't know" Caitlin pondered.

"I don't know either, but I would guess no" Helena mused, "The British government is quite consistent in privileging only human magicals. Creatures, half-humans and so on have very little rights. I would imagine ghosts fall into that category."

"True" Daniel agreed.

Graham shot a look at the professors' table "The groundskeeper, Hagrid, is part giant, right? I mean he must be."

"Yeah" Paddy looked as well.

"How did that work? Is his mother…" Graham started.

"No! I don't want to think about it! Not now not ever!" Caitlin sat up in her seat, terrified.

Ash rubbed her forehead "Haah! I'm thinking about it!"

"Change the subject, change the subject!" Daniel joined the drama circle.

"What a nice day today" Saeko hummed.

Caitlin arched her eyebrows "Really, the weather?!"

"Quidditch then?"

"Pass"

"Soo, Saeko, I need a wingman" Paddy mercifully changed the subject.

"A what now?" the nin frowned.

Helena pursed her lips "He needs help with a girl."

"I'm perfectly fine with girls, thank you very much" Patrick said indignantly.

"Do you have someone particular in mind?" Saeko interrupted.

"No"

The Uchiha arched her eyebrow. Caitlin chuckled "At least it's not…"

Paddy cleared his throat to shut her up. No matter, everybody knew about his slight embarrassment with his crush during Valentines Day.

Daniel pointed at one lone raven gliding towards the Ravenclaw table "Mail at lunch?"

Saeko frowned and looked up as well "Seems so."

Zake landed on the ninja's shoulder and cawed. The Uchiha hopped up from her seat and made her way to the closest corner she could speak with her summon in private.

A minute later she banged the back of her head into the wall and whined "A dragon egg?"

"Yup" the raven seemed to chuckle.

"Three years of perfect boredom by Konoha standards and now this? I want my holidays back"

"Sorry"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I felt Saeko deserved a little break :-) Especially since canon comes kncking the next chapter.<strong>

**Also I hope you all enjoyed your holidays (if you had them now).**


	68. 4- 68 Yup, That s a Dragon

***Yup, That****'s a Dragon*******

**Library**

Saeko was pissed as she stalked among the shelves on Care of Magical creatures looking for books on dragons. She was researching the creatures to know approximately when that fucker was going to hatch. So far she determined that Hagrid's future pet was a Norwegian Ridgeback - joy of joys, it was one of the most dangerous ones.

"New interest?"

The ninja turned to see her former quidditch captain with a pile of five books in her arms. "Sure, let's go with that" Saeko sighed, "What about you, what got you out of your lair? I haven't seen you around for at least a month. Me and the Team were considering an intervention."

Jamie chuckled and shook her head "That's sweet. I was just so busy. Hell, I'm still. NEWTs are nearly here."

"You seem rather calm" the Uchiha said a bit suspiciously.

"I just returned from Flitwick's, he really soothed my nerves" Jamie smiled.

Saeko nodded "He really is wonderful. We really lucked out. I don't know about professor Sprout but I can hardly see McGonagall and Snape serving tea and cookies and listening to their student's woes."

Jamie began to laugh "I just pictured Snape trying to smile!"

"That would be really something" the brunette laughed as well.

Still laughing the two girls made their way to one of the last unoccupied tables and sat down. They calmed down when Madame Pince leveled her glare at them.

"So, how are things with Chloe? I imagine you made more time for your girlfriend than us, your good friends" Saeko said in reprimand.

Jamie sighed "Actually, yes. Thank Merlin she's a seventh year as well, a studious one too, or I might find myself dumped. We study together on occasion but she seems to understand Ravenclaw nerdiness."

"I knew she was a keeper" the beater said warmly, "It looks like the relationship could last outside Hogwarts too."

"I hope so" the blonde smiled dreamily.

Saeko grinned "Aww, our Jamie is in love."

"She is" the seventh year said firmly and sought to change the subject, "What about you? I heard nothing from the rumor mill."

The Uchiha shrugged "Hn."

Jamie laughed "Ha! I missed that."

"Hn" the ninja smiled.

"Well, I need to get back to it" Jamie sighed and collected her books.

Saeko grabbed her wrist "Come on, you still have time and I'm sure you already read everything over at least once. You've been MIA for ages."

The former chaser hesitated but then acquiesced "Just you wait, next year you've got OLWs."

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it. Michelle, Helena's roommate, will go completely nuts and Helena will go crazy from her. Her being irritated will transfer to all our friends which means at least two months of hell."

"Sounds about right" Jamie chuckled.

"But this year I didn't hear about any meltdowns yet" Saeko said appreciatively.

"There's time" the Brit chuckled.

The sharingan user nodded with a sigh "True. Just make sure that'll not be you."

"I'll try"

"Do that" Saeko smiled, "If the nerves come check in with me, I've got a really nice bottle of sake imported from Konoha."

Jamie chuckled "I'll keep it in mind."

"Good, I hear lawyers like good liquor, you could think of it as training"

"In that case serve away, this day is shot to hell anyway. And I do need to train, my job is lined up, provided I don't fail any of my exams"

"That's great news! Wait, you want to drink right away? It's barely past noon" the ninja arched her eyebrow.

"My schedule's free"

"All right! I always knew I liked you. Any chance Chloe is free too, we could party in three"

"She has Care and you keep your hands off my girl"

Saeko pouted "So I have lost you forever, not even a threesome will tempt you?"

"I really need that sake now" Jamie sighed.

"That's a no?"

"A definite no"

"Meanie"

"Drink, now"

"Hai, taichō!" Saeko saluted.

* * *

><p><strong>Saeko<strong>** and Ashley's Room**

"It's hatching"

"Oh, goodie" Saeko said without pausing her push-ups.

The raven summon rolled his eyes "That's not the best part, the blond human you tagged was there too."

"Malfoy? What do you mean he was there too?" the ninja finally stopped her exercise.

"He followed Potter and saw the lizard. Was really happy about it too" Zeke reported.

"Joy" Saeko said dryly, "Anything else?"

"Well, it is my observation that the big buy isn't really bright. Other than that the trio seems really worried, now doubly so because of this Malfoy."

"Did they mention any plans?"

"None as of yet, maybe mom will have something when her shift is over"

"Marvelous" Saeko murmured and stood up. Zake shrugged and dispelled himself.

The jounin sighed and put on her quidditch uniform. She unsealed her broom and descended into the Ravenclaw common room. She passed her friends with a nod, leaving them to their studying and made her way to the House Team.

Saeko eyed her juniors, Chang especially - the Slytherin Hufflepuff match showed potential in Cedric Diggory as a seeker. The Snakes won without much problems but the Uchiha was concerned for next year. She would need to up Chang's training. It was such a shame she will have a practically brand new team.

The nig group made their way out of the Castle and to the quidditch pitch. As they went Cameron started whistling a tune and Caitlin joined in.

"Are we now a marching band?" Saeko's bad mood manifested.

"I can actually play the trumpet" Rory declared proudly.

"How nice" the captain said dryly.

Caitlin and Cameron shrugged and resumed their musical performance. Rory joined in as a vocalist. And where he went Wayne follows, this time with a decent baritone.

It didn't take long and all the whole team, plus reserves, was singing along. With one notable exception. "Come on Cap, join in!" Frost needled the sharingan user.

"Nope. And I'm doing you a favor, believe me" Saeko shook her head.

Rory pouted "Don't be a stick in the mud!"

"Yeah!" Wayne chimed in.

Saeko shook her head again "I don't want to. Besides, I can't sing."

"Everybody can sing at least a little bit. We won't laugh" Caitlin bumped her friend's side.

"No"

"What about we promise not to whine all this and the next training, no matter how hard the PT is" Jared bargained.

"You mad?" Roger Davies, the junior chaser, spoke up for the first time.

The ninja hummed "Make it all the trainings until the game against Gryffindor."

"Give us a minute" Frost said and made a motion to the Team to surround him. Saeko stood flabbergasted on the side, waiting for a verdict.

The group finished whispering. "We'll take it" Rory announced.

"Really" the brunette arched her eyebrow, "You are ready to suffer just to hear me sing."

More murmurs. "Yes" was the response.

"That's silly" Saeko shook her head in disbelief, talk about a bad deal.

"You seem embarrassed" James smirked, "We want to see why."

"And I know just the song!" Cameron exclaimed.

The jounin sighed and resigned herself to her fate. When the Team started singing a song that was on the wizarding radio all the time she joined in.

A few moments later the song ended. Silence followed.

"I told you guys" Saeko defended her performance.

"Yeah but I did not expect... this"

"It was truly awful"

"Yup. I need therapy"

"Never thought I would see Saeko fail at something"

"It wasn't _that_ bad" Caitlin tried feebly.

"Good to know" the Konoha nin rolled her eyes, "Now, let's make good on your deal, take off those uniforms and start stretching."

The Team bit back their whines, as per agreement, and stripped down in their work-out clothes. Saeko grinned and stuck the 'good guy' pose, complete with a glint off her white teeth "Now, let's fan the flames of YOUTH!"

Everybody gulped, already knowing that when 'youth' was being brought up it meant insanity, sore limbs and sometimes bouts of uncontrolled crying in exhaustion.

As soon as the Captain issued the order to run laps the Team obeyed, clearly trying to mellow her out.

The sound of pounding feet disappeared into distance and Saeko sighed dreamily and wiped a fake tear from her eye "Guy would be so proud. Maybe I could invest in spandex."

* * *

><p><strong>Hagrid<strong>**'****s Hut**

"_Yep, the half-giant is a proud papa of a baby dragon_" Saeko thought sarcastically when she observed the gamekeeper cooing over the little Ridgeback, offering him a teddy bear.

As the toy was being shred to pieces Saeko decided that she saw enough, her objective was merely taking a peek at the little bugger in person after all. She jogged back to the school, actually encountering Potter on the way, indubitably going to the same place Saeko has just been.

Nodding at the Ravens in their Common Room she headed up the stairs and into her room. Ashley was writing a letter at her table while Helena, visiting as always, was sketching. Saeko sat on her roommate's bed since hers was occupied. Her eyes narrowed as she asked her blonde friend "Helena, are you drinking wine?"

"Maybe" Helena said airily and took a sip from her glass.

"Where did you get your wine?"

"My father"

"Why did your father sent you wine?"

The blonde shrugged "Do you want some?"

"Yes, please. But I actually wanted an answer"

"Present me with a glass or you are not getting any of this delicious Pinot"

Ashley sighed "It's no use, I already tried, she wouldn't tell me either."

The Uchiha shrugged and went to fetch a glass. Helena sniffed in derision at the cup that was presented to her but poured the wine anyway.

"Hmm, you were right, it's really good" Saeko said appreciatively. She settled into Ashley's bed and opened the History textbook, intent on revising for the exams.

The relaxing atmosphere was broken by furious knocking. "Come in" Ash called from her desk.

Graham, Patrick and Daniel came in. Helena took a look at them and sighed "What in Merlin's name happened to you?"

Ashley's head shot up from her writing, she scanned them and arched an eyebrow "Did you guys get in a fight?"

Patrick, whose cheek was beginning to swell, shrugged.

"Did you win?" Saeko asked with a chuckle.

Before they could reply, Ash asked in alarm "Where is Peter?"

"I think the Library. He wasn't involved" Daniel calmed the brunette down.

"Who was?" Helena asked.

"Well, us…" Daniel started but was interrupted by Patrick "More like me and Graham."

"Yeah, Danny-boy was afraid to break a nail" Graham agreed.

The uninjured Daniel sighed "That's not true. I wanted to avoid conflict all together. We would've talked it out if you two didn't go all 'Hulk smash!'"

"We defended you!"

Saeko laughed "So you two got into a fight to protect Daniel's honor? How sweet!"

The remaining girls laughed as well. Helena chipped in "How chivalrous."

"Ah, the wonders of brotherly love" Ash sighed dreamily.

"Does Michelle still like yaoi?" Saeko asked the blonde.

Graham hugged Daniel and laid his head on the bespectacled boy's shoulder "You know us, there isn't anything we wouldn't do for our Danny."

"Thank you, cupcake" Daniel said with a smile.

When the laughter died down, Saeko repeated Helena's previous question "So who did you guys fight?"

"DeLuise, Sands and Paxton"

"Those are Gryffindor's in our year, right?" the ninja ventured.

"Yes," Ashley replied with a roll of her eyes, "It never fails to astound me how you practically don't know anybody here."

"They are inconsequential" Saeko shrugged, "I remember the people I care about." Helena hummed in approval.

"Whatever" Ash sighed and turned to the boys "So why them?"

"DeLuise was running his mouth off"

"DeLuise is the reddish-blond gay one, right?" Saeko finally realized for sure who they were talking about.

"Ye- what!" Graham exclaimed.

Helena tapped her chin in thought "You know, I think you're right."

"I could see that" Ashley hummed. Graham and Paddy stood there speechless while Daniel seemed to be contemplating it.

The blonde brought up another point "He's a pureblood, how did it come to fists?"

Daniel rolled his eyes "Graham is a brute."

"Hey!" the boy in question snapped out of his trance.

Paddy followed "It did catch him off-guard all right. Pity his friends are both muggleborns and not too shabby in CQC."

"And why are you three here instead of the infirmary?" Saeko voiced the thought that just occurred to her.

"We wanted to be nursed back to health by three beautiful women?" Graham tried to grin but winced because of his injuries.

Helena scoffed "Pig."

"You should let Pomfrey take a look at it" Ashley agreed.

Daniel looked over his friends "That might actually be a good idea."

"Ok. And the next time we get in a fight you are going with us" Paddy looked at the Uchiha.

Saeko rolled her eyes "Don't drag me into it."

"Just get out" Ash sighed.

The three boys obliged.

Helena, Saeko and Ashley returned to their activities. After a while the blonde hummed "DeLuise gay, huh?"

"Definitely" the aspiring Hokage said definitively "He just doesn't know it yet."

"Cool"

"And he totally fancies Daniel"

"No way!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Happy New Year :-)<strong>


	69. 4- 69 Torches and Pitchforks

***Torches and Pitchforks***

Hogwarts was in uproar - everybody had noticed the sudden drop in Gryffindor's points and reacted accordingly - some students were cheering, some were indifferent and the last group, predictably Gryffs, was downright _pissed_.

Overnight Potter, Granger and Longbottom became pariahs in their own House. The Gryffindors were swift in letting them know their displeasure, some in meaner ways than others but nothing that would require an intervention.

Saeko herself felt no pity, Potter and Granger were simply colossally stupid and Longbottom was plain unlucky. Who in their right mind would forget putting on their invisibility cloak, the centerpiece of their entire plan, while trying to evade detection.

When the jounin first heard of the plan she was skeptical about Potter and Granger pulling it off but then she was pretty impressed they managed to get so far as the tallest tower without much trouble. And burns, not for Norbert's lack of trying. Then came the massive blunder though. Saeko just watched in disbelief as the duo merrily skipped back to their dorms without their protection.

After picking up the forgotten Cloak, intent to give it back to the headmaster, she at least had the satisfaction of watching her protectee get busted by McGonagall.

All in all an eventful night.

The only place that wasn't affected by any development, drama or scandal was the library. Madame Pince made sure of that. Saeko entered her domain with a slight smile on her lips and immediately walked into the transfiguration section.

After browsing for a little while she walked a little further, coming face to face with a lone Gryffindor. '_Talk about the devil…_' "Miss Granger, I'm surprised to see you here alone. From the recent developments I would think it prudent to have your friends around."

The bushy haired brunette jumped up in fright "Oh my God! You startled me!"

Saeko suppressed her smirk "Pardon me, that wasn't my intention."

"That's alright" was the shy response.

"Transfiguration, huh? I hear you have quite a talent for it from our little Ravens" the ninja decided to converse.

"It's my favorite subject!" Hermione lighted up, "All subjects are fascinating but turning something into something else… that's the magic I always envisioned."

Saeko chuckled "Even my Ravens are not so passionate about the subject." Ignoring the first's year blush she continued "I understand you are muggleborn, yes?"

"I am" Granger said almost defiantly.

The ninja smiled reassuringly "My family and village pride themselves mainly on elemental magic so transfiguration was a novelty for me as well."

"Really? You're from Japan, right? Where exactly? And why didn't you go to school over there? And... Oh, why do you call them 'your' Ravens? You are not a prefect or anything"

_But it makes me sound so conceited and I happen to be bored_ "Did I? I have not realized. Though I do help the younger years with their spellwork on occasion, but that is common in our House."

"That sounds nice" the Brit said tad wistfully.

"It is. Although I'm afraid that if someone caused such a drop in points there would be a lynching taking place. Gryffindor's reaction seems almost tame in comparison" Saeko said sweetly.

Granger blushed again, this time in shame.

"Don't worry, this unpleasantness will blow over as soon as my team creams the Lions on the pitch." At the girl's glare she dropped her slight smirk and exchanged it for a smile "I mean it, it will be ok. It will just take a new big story and poof, this will be forgotten."

The smaller brunette seemed to gauge Saeko's sincerity and then she smiled genuinely "Thanks"

"Sure. Now please excuse me, I see a friend" the Uchiha said spotting a familiar shade of red.

When the Gryff nodded Saeko sought out Lauren only a few shelves over. The red-head was smirking "A firstie, really?"

"Oh, hush. She was looking so pathetic I could not help myself. You should hear what our firsties say about her, it's quite amusing."

Lauren arched an eyebrow "An insufferable know-it-all from what I hear. Though she pisses Malfoy off, so points to her."

"Not at the moment I would wager, the Snakes are all gleeful. Are you gleeful?"

"Sure, but it's fun more than anything" the Slytherin shrugged.

Saeko hummed "True. But it is a lesson that popularity is a fickle thing."

"Naturally"

"Naturally" the ninja echoed with a smile.

Lauren chuckled and changed the subject "Did you already finish the Runes assignment?"

"Nope"

"It's due Monday" the red-head reminded with a shake of her head.

"I've got time. You?"

"It just needs a bow"

"So I'm guessing you are hiding here from Isolde who hasn't done it yet?"

Lauren let out a short laugh and nodded.

"Why did Soldy take Runes when she hates it?"

"Everybody in her family takes Arithmancy and Runes. No exceptions" was the disinterested reply.

Saeko shrugged "Inefficient, but I can understand that."

"I don't think she's a hidden genius in any other elective, the world isn't missing out"

"Harsh"

"Truthful"

"You don't like Isolde very much" Saeko arched one eyebrow in question.

"She gets on my nerves sometimes, but I like her. As long as you don't discuss anything serious she's a marvelous friend to have" Lauren shared.

The jounin observed her Slytherin acquaintance for a moment and then she sighed "You guard yourself too closely. Let someone in once in a while, you'll be happier." She frowned, thinking back to Fugaku's reign "I would know, I truly would."

Lauren blinked in confusion but before she could reply Saeko abruptly collected her books, done being helpful for today "You were right, I do need to get a move on the Runes assignment. See you, Ren."

The red-head just stood there staring after her, torn between anger and appreciation.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

"Why are you riding us so hard? We've got it in the bag" Rory said as he collapsed in the grass.

"You all promised no whining" the captain sing-songed.

Caitlin sat next to her friend "He's right though. Potter's super depressed and the team tries to ignore him. They are in shambles."

"That only means they'll be desperate and fight all the harder" McPherson contradicted.

Saeko nodded "James is right, plus they hadn't lost a match with their new seeker and if they won the Quidditch Cup it would not look so pathetic when they end up in last place for the House one."

"Hah, true" Wayne grinned.

Frost mimicked the action "It'll be hard, I hear they call Potter just 'the seeker'"

"They refuse to use his name? Sweet!" Roger Davies, the reserve chaser exclaimed to everybody's surprise - he usually didn't speak much during practice.

"Indeed" Saeko laughed, "Well, I think we are done for today. Let's go."

Everybody smiled and suddenly found the strength to hop up. They made their way to the locker rooms for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Saeko had to admit that having another girl on the team was nice as she and Caitlin chatted throughout it.

When the Team came into the Ravenclaw common room they dispersed in different directions. Saeko and Caitlin noticed their little poker group sitting by the window.

"What did we miss?" said Caitlin as she sat down beside Paddy.

"Another standing ovation for Potter, courtesy of the Slytherins"

"And my roomie freaking out" Helena sighed.

"The Exams again?"

"About OWLs actually"

Saeko blinked in confusion "Those are a year away."

"I know, right!" the blonde exclaimed in frustration, "Besides, she decided she wants to work at the Ministry. For that you need top grades among other things and she is desperate she didn't start studying much sooner. I didn't really have the heart to tell her the Ministry is pretty much a pureblooded club. Connections are more important than grades."

"But they don't hurt" Graham said calmly.

Peter nodded "Yeah, she might still get connected here at Hogwarts"

The Grey heiress rolled her eyes "Sure, she could fuck a son of someone influential."

"Helena!"

The girl just shrugged, unrepentant.

"Moving on" Daniel sought to change the subject, "So Saeko, how was practice?"

Saeko said "good" just as Graham said "Laaaame! Forget that, let's do something fun!"

"Such as?"

"Dunno"

…

…

"Cards?" Helena proposed.

Graham and Peter both shook their heads "We do that all the time."

"We could play maginopoly" Caitlin tried.

"You got a board?" Graham perked up.

Ashley spoke up when the red-head shook her head "We could ask around, I saw some fifth-years playing just the other day."

"No need, Michelle has one. I remember her being ecstatic that wizarding monopoly existed" Helena rolled her eyes.

"Go ask her then" Peter prompted her.

Helena started muttering but stood up and went to up the stairs. In the meantime Saeko relayed the confidence in the Ravenclaw quidditch team for the upcoming last match of the season.

"Here you go" said Helena as she dumped the large box in the middle of the group.

Graham grabbed the box and started laying out the board. Daniel tried to take the fake galleons but Graham slapped his hands away "I'll be the goblin. The bank is mine."

"Ooookay" the bespectacled boy backed down.

"We should play in pairs" Ashley mused, "Playing in eight would be too much. This game already lasts far too long."

"Good idea" Caitlin nodded.

In the end Ash paired with Pater, Saeko with Helena, Graham with Paddy and Daniel was with Caitlin. Everybody got their galleons and the game could begin.

X

"And boom! Now you owe me 360 galleons"

"Come on!" Paddy exclaimed.

"I hate violet!" Graham growled.

"And I so do love Diagon Alley" Helena cackled. Saeko just smirked and put her hand up to receive the rent.

"I'll get you back. Just you wait, you'll step on my Hogsmeade set soon enough" Graham said with narrowed eyes.

"At least you're not in Azkaban" Ashley said grumpily.

x

"I saw you Graham!"

"What?"

"You dirty cheat! You took more money from the bank than owed"

"I did not!" the boy defended himself, full of righteous fury.

"He's a goblin, what did you expect"

"First, that's racist, second it's inaccurate and third I FUCKING DID NOT TAKE THE MONEY!"

x

"Screw this, it's the second time we drew the Grindelwald chance card!"

"Hehehe"

"Shut up"

x

"Grr"

"Grr"

"Calm down, it's just a game"

"Says the fucking tycoon"

"You know what, I'm outta here!"

"Don't be childish"

"How could I be, children are not broke!"

"Man up. And pay"

x

When the fourth year group started making enough ruckus to disturb the diligently studying Ravens, a prefect made his way to them. He tried to calm the situation down.

He failed.

But soon enough the group dispersed and went stomping out in different directions.

The prefect looked down at the board "Maginopoly, huh? We should really ban that game."

* * *

><p><strong>Study Room on 3<strong>**rd**** Floor**

The poker group sat in one of the empty but clean rooms near the Library, dubbed as study rooms mainly used for intra House assignments. Or inter-House courting. Everybody was waiting for Graham who had insisted his friends and his girlfriend met outside of class.

"Do we have to?" Helena sighed.

Ashley rolled her eyes "Yes"

"Saeko, back me up"

The ninja shrugged "I find Myra annoying as well but she's still Graham's girlfriend. Until he dumps her we will be supportive friends."

Before Helena could gripe some more Daniel spoke "You guys are horrible. She's perfectly fine, a bit air-headed and perky but perfectly fine."

"Besides, they will break up sooner or later" Caitlin chimed in.

"I dunno" Peter voiced, "What do you think Paddy?"

Graham's best friend hummed "I honestly can't say. I guess we will see after the summer holidays."

"Oh, joy" the blonde pureblood said dryly.

Saeko shushed her "Quiet, they're coming."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm a ninja"

"Funny" Peter rolled his eyes.

The jounin grinned, loving the irony "I try"

Graham and Myra indeed came through the door a moment later. The fourth year Ravenclaws greeted with a rather believable "Heeeey!"

"Hi!" the Gryffindor greeted back while Graham just nodded.

The 'study session' went pretty much as expected - Myra was her usual self, Graham kept staring at her in adoration, Helena made veiled acerbic remarks and the rest was keeping the conversation going.

Helena started smirking when Caitlin stopped sitting on the fence and firmly joined her side in camp, the 'let's get rid of Myra' - the red-head didn't appreciate that apparently 'Trelawney is awesome!'

Graham readily agreed even though he was always the fist of making fun of the divination professor and the subject as a whole.

And then there were the funny stories from the Gryffindor common room. Everybody forced out polite chuckles, only Helena was stony faced.

"Ha, that could never happen in our House. Hilarious," Graham said excitedly, "Right, Helena?"

"Sure, I'm laughing. Just not externally"

Saeko bit her lip, trying not to laugh, for real this time. Seeing as Graham was giving the blonde the kicked puppy look she spoke up "She's no fun today." Turning to the blonde she continued "Come on, you've been pissed since this morning, let's work it out. I still owe you that spar. I'll even use that thin sword you fancy."

"It's a sabre" Helena corrected her morosely.

"It that a yes?"

Helena shrugged "Ah, what the hell. Let's go."

The two girls got up and gathered their things. Saeko smiled at the couple "Always nice to talk to you, Myra."

Helena got nudged by her friend "Indeed, sorry about my mood."

"No problem, I know you can be super nice!" Myra said cheerily. Saeko smiled and took Helena's arm before she could give a reply.

They were almost at the end of the hallway when Helena spoke up "Did I take it too far?"

"Yep"

"You didn't need to get me out of there" the blonde frowned.

Saeko shrugged "I dunno, you were starting to get harsh. We don't need an upset Graham."

"I guess" Helena relented.

"You really don't like her, huh?"

"I found her annoying even that first day on the train"

"Hm, I actually found the second one more irritating. That Hufflepuff girl"

"Oh, I remember. Heidi Bright. She's annoying too" Helena concluded.

The ninja laughed. Then she looked at her friend "So how about it? We could still spar."

"You know what? Yes" Helena said after a brief hesitation, "I'm heavily out of practice though."

Saeko grinned, happy she finally got her friend to cross blades with her "Alright!"

They found another empty room, this one with all the tables pushed against the wall. Saeko shrugged off the cloak of her uniform while Helena rolled her sleeves up. The jounin nodded towards a half-smashed chair "You'll take care of those so called weapons?"

"Don't provoke" Helena chastised and drew her wand to transfigure them the sabres.

"So, how does your little sis fare at Beauxbatons?" said Saeko and settled into a stance.

"Not bad" the blonde replied while she inspected her blade, "Not the top of her class but pretty close. She found some friends and she seems happy. She misses speaking English though."

As she finished her sentence she launched an attack which Saeko easily deflected. The Uchiha gave a nod in appreciation of using a distraction. "Which House do you think Vanessa would be in?"

"Gryffindor, maybe"

"Not a fellow Raven?" Saeko asked, circling her opponent.

Helena executed a rather complicated move. Saeko evaded and initiated a counterattack. When they were back to circling the Brit replied "I don't think so. She likes learning and all but she prefers having fun. And pranks, like those Lions. And yes, the prescribed bravery is there too."

"Cool"

A few exchanges later Saeko thought up another question "So, do you fancy anybody?"

"No" Helena uttered and tried to trip the ninja.

Saeko kicked the offending leg, pivoted and put the blade of her sabre on Helena's neck "Nice try though."

"You always lecture to fight dirty" the pureblood stepped out of reach of the sword.

"With good reason," Saeko smiled, "that move could get a less experienced fighter off-guard."

"But not you"

"Not me" the ninja smirked.

Helena rolled her eyes "Arrogant as always"

"Self-assured" Saeko countered, "One more?"

The Grey heiress got into position. The next exchange was faster-paced, Helena getting back into her element. To be honest, Saeko was impressed. She knew her friend has been fencing since she was little but she never considered it a viable fighting style.

"Check mate" Saeko smirked when she managed to disarm her friend.

Helena sighed and '_finite_' her sword "Alright, I'm done."

"Already?"

"Yes. We can do this again though"

"Ok" Saeko perked up.

"I admit, this was fun" Helena smiled.

"Indeed" the Uchiha nodded, "Well, if we are done I think I'll go take a nap."

"A nap?" the blonde arched an eyebrow, "At this hour?"

"Yep" Saeko nodded. She wanted to be all rested up for tonight, she was to be a shadow chaperone for Potter's detention. She was still a bit peeved about it - forcing four firsties in the Forbidden Forest at night was insane. Especially one that apparently had to be protected enough to warrant a ninja on the job.

"Goodnight then, I guess."

"Night"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: the little scene with Hermione was for you <strong>_**chaosrin**_** ;-)**


	70. 4- 70 Stumbling in the Dark

***Stumbling in the Dark***

**Forbidden Forest**

"_Little shits who don__'t know how to infringe rules and not to get caught_" Saeko thought morosely as she followed the detention group through the Forbidden Forest.

Longbottom, Grander, Malfoy, Potter and Hagrid, and don't forget the dog, were supposedly in search of an injured unicorn. The theory was that someone was actually hunting the beautiful creatures, which made Saeko wonder why on earth they would send firsties to find who and not the gamekeeper. Or the resident ninja. Especially since unicorn hair, some innards, horn and above all blood were precious ingredients to both potions and rituals.

"_Yeah, sure, split up. What a __marvelous idea!" _the ninjutsu specialist continued her commentary. She sighed, quickly formed a Kage Bushin and sent it with the group that didn't have Potter in it.

Hopping from shadow to shadow high up the trees, evading the half-giant's surprisingly sharp senses, Saeko surveyed the boy's journey through the Forest. She was doubly grateful for the scent-erasing techniques she was thought in Konoha when the group encountered centaurs. Definitely not a friendly bunch when it came to intruders.

Red sparks flew and Saeko tensed up, ready to protect the boy. The sudden influx of memories from her dispelled shadow clone calmed her down. "_Fucking kids. I miss working with professionals_" was the ninja's response to Malfoy's prank.

When the group reconvened Saeko made another clone to replace the previous one. True to her prediction the firsties split yet again, only this time in different teams.

Following Potter&Malfoy was getting harder as the boys ventured deeper in the forest. The thick trees made for perfect cover, unfortunately that fact went both ways. A byakugan would've definitely been useful.

When they boys found a silvery trail of unicorn blood Saeko withheld a sigh. Neither Potter nor Malfoy sent the green sparks and instead they skipped happily along it. The jounin withheld her sigh yet again "_Well, at least the detention would soon be over."_

The blood was becoming thicker and its the pools bigger. Then Saeko saw splashes on the roots of a nearby tree, as though the poor unicorn had been thrashing around in pain close by. The ninja tensed as she spied a clearing up ahead. She jumped onto another branch further up ahead to get a better look.

The unicorn was there. Very beautiful and very dead. All bright white and gleaming he matched Kettleburn's description to a T. Pity Saeko spared the downed creature just a cursory glance as she focused on a figure in the shadows. The unknown figure was an amateur to ninja standards, didn't blend in shadows properly, but they still cut an impressive figure. The hood and blood dripping from their mouth sure helped.

Seeing the same, Malfoy and Fang panicked - instead of backing out quietly they screamed, or barked in the dog's case, and started running.

Potter froze in place. Saeko wanted to curse but then she saw the boy double up in pain, pawning at his head and then collapsing. The ninja did not hesitate and even before the boy started swaying she jumped over and stood protectively over him, tantō and wand drawn.

The hooded figure did the smart thing and fled. Saeko would have wanted to pursue but that was not her mission. Instead she took the unconscious boy over her shoulder and ran back towards the edge of the forest.

When she heard clopping nearby she hesitated, the centaurs seemed friendly enough when Hagrid and Harry met them before. She moved to intercept.

The centaur neighed when he saw the ninja. Saeko bowed "Greetings, centaur-dono."

"And to you as well" the palomino replied cautiously, "What might bring you here?"

"My apologies on trespassing onto your territory. I was tasked by the headmaster of the School to watch over this boy, unseen"

The centaur peered at the boy's forehead "Harry Potter."

"Indeed. There was a man, the one that hunted the unicorns and drunk their blood. Potter interrupted him, fell unconscious from the pain but I intervened. The man escaped."

"We suspected one such man. Mars is bright tonight."

Saeko looked up at the sky "It is indeed."

"You should return to the School. The forest is dangerous, even for one confident as you"

"I shall. May I only ask for a favor?" the Uchiha said as she nodded towards Potter, "I'm his guardian and I must remain in the shadows."

"I heard Hagrid was in the forest. You want me to bring the boy to him"

"I would be most grateful"

The white blond centaur hummed, looking up to the sky as if seeking guidance "Very well."

Saeko deposited her burden gently to the ground. Noticing Potter was starting to stir she bowed again "Thank you, centaur-dono."

"Be safe, young one"

The brunette smiled briefly and concealed herself back in the darkness. When she was sure the centaur couldn't see her she jumped back in the trees. Then she watched as Harry woke up and spoke to Firenze, as the half-horse introduced himself.

As her charge was being carried back to Hagrid Saeko branch-hopped along, comfortably as only a Konoha nin could. She listened intently at Firenze and Potter's dialogue, just in case. It was actually quite interesting. It seemed the centaurs were expecting war, if the jounin managed to remember what she heard about Divination.

Finally Saeko heard large booted footsteps. "Harry! Harry, are you alright?" Granger came running towards the duo, Hagrid close behind her.

"_Well, tonight I definitely earned my paycheck"_ Saeko thought as the group made its way back to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

"Not jogging?" Daniel asked as he sat down near the ninja.

Saeko paused her reading "Got enough of the Forest for a while."

"Oh?"

The jounin shrugged. Besides, just yesterday she went to summoner's realm for an exercise meant to increase chakra capacity. Since she tried to train the physical side every time she got, yesterday's focus was deep meditation. She deserved a little break.

"So whatcha reading?" Daniel gestured towards the ancient pages.

"A gift from my brother. A treaty on energy transfer"

"Knockturn Alley?" the boy wondered.

Saeko hummed "No, but it's not sunshine and rainbows."

"It rarely is" Daniel shrugged, "So I was thinking of revising charms, care to give me a hand?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

The bespectacled teen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly "I might've been working on something."

The ninja was intrigued and put her reading back into its folder "Go on."

"Non-verbal _protego_"

"Ambitious!" Saeko said approvingly.

"You can do it" Daniel countered morosely.

"You do too" the jounin smirked, "Ok, show me what can you do."

"I was thinking a duel. Like we had in Deirdre's class"

Saeko was impressed "Your shield is battle ready?"

"That's what I want to find out. Though, it's the only spell I can do without incantation"

"Let's do a trial run and then we can have an all-out" the ninja proposed.

"Alright" Daniel brightened up.

"Let's find us a room then!"

"I thought you were into women" the Brit teased.

"Good one"

X

"_Aguamenti_" Saeko murmured and pointed her wand at her stationary opponent.

Daniel laughed in delight as the water harmlessly splashed on his shield. When the spell ended he dropped his barrier and wanted to say something but Saeko decided it was the ideal time to try again.

"Gaaah!"

"You know, any shield is useless if you forget to put it in place" the ninja said patronizingly.

The boy brushed his wet hair from his eyes and glared "No shit."

"Just trying to help" Saeko smirked and shot another speedy spell. This time Daniel had been half-expecting it and rolled to the side. The girl went to compliment him but then she had to evade as well.

It was obvious Deirdre had been an amazing dueling teacher - Daniel glided over the battlefield, never static, firing spell after spell, his shield ready to go up at a moment's notice.

"Spell chaining, I understand that's pretty advanced" the Uchiha spoke during a lull in the fight.

The bespectacled Raven smirked proudly "Flitwick helped."

"He does that" Saeko commented and shot a spell she too got from their Head of House in a combination she was pretty sure would result in a direct hit.

She was not wrong. Daniel staggered, disoriented "What the fuck…"

"I'm sorry but I really wanted to try this one out" the kunoichi apologized and watched her opponent sit heavily on the floor.

"I don't feel so good" Daniel announced bleakly.

Saeko immediately cast a _finite_ and knelt before him "Better?"

"Yeah" the Brit sighed in relief, "What was that?"

"The _vertigo_ charm" the brunette explained, "I think that Flitwick would not normally teach it to me but I already knew a variant from home. Though, I didn't expect such an adverse reaction. I thought you would be only slightly disoriented."

"That's a pretty neat spell" Daniel hummed, "I want it."

"I dunno…" Saeko started.

Daniel put on his best puppy-dog eyed expression "I nearly threw up right now."

"That's emotional blackmail"

"I still feel weak"

"_Effective_ emotional blackmail"

"Yay!"

Saeko smiled slyly "Still, if it caused so much damage then maybe it's too dangerous to be passed on…"

"No, see, I'm perfectly fine now!" Daniel shot up to his feet.

The Uchiha had to actually steady him as he got dizzy "Careful there. I'll teach it to you, just not right now. I think we better het to the Tower. Unless you want to take a trip to Pomfrey."

"No, I'm good" the boy shook his head, "I just got up too fast."

"Ok. Oh, and your _protego_ was good, fast and silent. And strong" Saeko complimented.

"Auror-worthy?" Daniel asked hopefully.

Saeko hummed "I think so, but I'm hardly the one to judge. For sure you're the most prepared fourth-year Hogwarts recruit though."

"I'll take it" the Brit shrugged.

"You'll be catching bad guys soon if you keep that up" the ninja patted her friend's back.

"Thanks" Daniel beamed.

"You'll be needed. Like with that creep from today's newspaper" Saeko pursed her lips.

The boy nodded "Nasty business, kidnapping children."

"Worse thing is that I heard a Slytherin say that 'they're only muggles'"

"Disgusting"

"At least he was the only one, the rest of the group seemed to disagree"

"How nice. Some Snakes really like to live up to the stereotype" Daniel sighed.

"Some of it is just posturing" Saeko shrugged.

"Apes"

"Hn"

"Hn, indeed"

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

"Can't you do that signing history thing again?" Paddy asked the resident musician.

Ashley turned a page of her textbook "Nope, not in the mood. Besides druids aren't attractive material."

"Bearded dudes high on herbs, what's not to like?" Graham snickered.

"Maybe their amazing course work? Brilliant potions?" Daniel arched his eyebrows.

"I guess" Graham grinned.

Helena grumbled "So we are officially done with studying?"

"Merlin, yes!" Caitlin exclaimed and threw her book aside, earning a few narrowed eyes for her carelessness with literature.

Saeko let out a perfect smoke circle "I agree, I'm quite hungry and this isn't exactly riveting."

"All in favor?" Ash announced.

The grey heiress protested at first but eventually the decision to stop was unanimous.

"So, what now?"

Ashley shrugged "Dunno. Hey Helena, I saw your favorite roomie looking over the poster for the drama club. Is she thinking of joining?"

Helena sneered "I hope not, she's already annoying enough."

"It's nearly exam time, she sure isn't joining now" Paddy reasoned.

"I bet she was only wiped out. I was going over the board too after completing that antidote homework last week" Caitlin pointed out.

Saeko put down her pipe "I don't think I ever noticed. We have a drama club?"

Ashley rolled her eyes "Hogwarts has, the same recruitment flayer is in every Common Room."

"Huh, what do you know"

The small brunette sighed "You really have narrow focus - school, quidditch, your training. Nothing else gets through your blinders."

"That's not fair" Saeko countered.

Ash arched an eyebrow "Really? Do you know the names of our classmates of other Houses?"

"Why should I?"

"My point exactly" Ash finished.

Helena shrugged "Saeko's already making nice with everybody in Konoha. She doesn't need this crap here too."

Saeko nodded vigorously. Ashley was not impressed but let the matter drop. The ninja mouthed a 'thank you' to her blonde friend who merely shrugged again.

The discussion turned to general gossip. Since the ninja was not really interested, or more precisely did not exactly know the participants, she stood up "I'm really hungry. Anyone wants to join me for a midnight snack?"

"It's ten o'clock" Graham said helpfully.

Saeko rolled her eyes "My bad. So, anyone?"

Since nobody seemed interested the kunoichi shrugged and made her way out of the Ravenclaw common room.

The hallways were deserted which suited Saeko just fine. It didn't take much time to reach the fruit bowl canvas that guarded the entrance to the kitchens.

"Konbanwa everybody" Saeko greeted the house elves that were the kitchen's staff. All the elves greeted back and scurried to ask what how they could be of service. Saeko asked for some onigiri and tea.

As she was about to take her fist bite the door opened again. Saeko looked up at the two third-years who suddenly stopped talking. The ninja nodded at them "Weasley, Weasley."

"Uchiha" the red-heads said in unison.

"Tea?" Saeko offered.

The twins looked at each other then shrugged. They sat down at the table beside the Ravenclaw beater.

"I'm a fan of your work. Well, when's not directed at me" Saeko commented on the duo's pranking.

"Everything's a lie" one of the twins fired immediately.

"We didn't do it" the second chimed in.

"Nobody saw it"

"You can't prove anything" they finished together.

Saeko laughed. Then she remembered one of the ideas for getting back at Snape "Hey guys, do you know if the potions classroom is protected somehow against intruders?"

"Why" one of the Weasleys asked, intrigued.

The Uchiha grinned "Let's just say we have a couple of Britney Spears posters we think Snape would appreciate."

"Oooooooh" the Gryffs smirked.

Saeko smirked as well "So, can you get into the potions classroom?"

"It's tricky but we can" Fred nodded.

"But first, who is Britney Spears?" George asked.


	71. 4- 71 The Mirror, the Stone and the Man

**AN: Thank you for all your kind reviews, even the less kind ones **** and favorites and follows, they really make my day.**

**AN2: I would also like to address a few things that came up.**

**Being super powerful - I find that this fact is advertised in the whole concept of Naru/HP crossover. I mean a ninja, let alone an Uchiha at Hogwarts. Genius quidditch player? Ninja, duh. If she were not amazing at quidditch she would be defective. As for the magic - sharingan. That is OP all on its own. If you combine it with actual ambition and hard work… And child genius? Should I mention Kakashi, Orochimaru, Itachi, Nagato, Konan and so on? Why them and not Saeko?**

**Favorite of Tsunade and Sarutobi - that was never my intention. Sarutobi likes to be the likeable grandfather yet firm leader, depending on the situation. He encourages the younger generation, from Kakashi to every little genin -will of fire and all that propaganda. Naruto is totally his favorite young ninja but does that mean he must be detached from everybody else? Especially after ordering the culling of the Uchiha clan. Would he not feel somewhat responsible and encouraging? As for Tsunade, I never showed her encounter with Naruto. Since Sarutobi was alive that meeting went differently - she might like Naruto but she simply didn****'t come back. Saeko's new knowledge brought from Hogwarts poses an interesting challenge but that doesn't mean she's suddenly Saeko's greatest fan.**

**Naruto and Harry - I tried to keep HP as close as possible (let's be honest, barring his knack for DADA he's not that stellar). And Naruto is far stronger than in canon - fuinjutsu, fuuton, more shadow techniques… And a chuunin. Definitely not the village idiot, thank you very much.**

**Rant over **

* * *

><p><strong>* The Mirror, the Stone and the Man with Two Faces*<strong>

"Zake?"

"Yep?" the summon looked up from his meal.

"Why does Potter go through all this unnecessary trouble?" Saeko sighed.

"He seems to think it is necessary"

"I disagree"

"I thought you might" he snickered.

"Wipe that smirk off your beak"

"Touchy, touchy"

The Uchiha fetched her pipe and lit it with a resigned expression "So what they had concocted this time?"

"As I told you, they know about Dumbledore's little vacation…"

"… not a vacation. That old goat is actually important in the government. Though I wouldn't put it past him to stage his departure so Quirrell or whoever can make their move."

"Whatever. They know the goat is out and that the half-giant babbled about Fluffy so they plan to get the Stone before him" the raven finished his report.

"When?" was Saeko's simple question.

"Tonight"

"Joy"

"Indeed"

"They still think it's Snape, right?"

"Yes, but I don't think it is. My money's on the turban guy, the one Dumbledore specifically asked you not to investigate."

"He might've but I still snooped a bit. It's definitely him"

"Will he be a hard opponent?" the raven cocked his head to the side.

"I don't think so. The bigger challenge will be keeping out of sight as is my mission. 'Intervene only when absolutely necessary' is the order."

"That sucks. I know you like being flashy and… well, present" Zake chuckled.

"True enough"

"So what's the plan?"

"Stick to the ceiling and hope that Potter doesn't fuck up" Saeko shrugged.

"Good luck with that" the raven snickered again.

"Yeah" the jounin said hopelessly.

* * *

><p><strong>Gryffindor Common Room<strong>

Yet again Saeko was waiting for Potter while stuck to the ceiling, this time in the Lion's den. Getting in hadn't been hard, what was more annoying was avoiding being seen by the students - the kunoichi needed to be there early in case the trio decided not to wait for the cover of the night.

As the evening progressed the Gryffindors left to bed, one by one, until only Potter and his lackeys remained. Well, them and Longbottom, who seemed forever destined to be in the way.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" was Granger's response to the Neville problem. The Uchiha was actually impressed - there was no hesitation in casting the full body bind, just an apology. Weasley and Potter callously stepping over the downed boy was in turn more disturbing than impressive.

When the trio vanished under their invisibility cloak and out into the school proper, Saeko followed them by sound.

Hogwarts at night was always pretty peaceful, the portraits were silent, the suits of armor did not clatter. Usually only Filch, his cat and the occasional ghost disturbed the peace. Saeko had no trouble tracking the first-years.

After a small altercation with the resident poltergeist the three Lions reached the Forbidden Corridor.

Fluffy growled deeply when he smelled human. Potter quickly scrambled for his flute and hastily started playing. Badly. But it was enough for the cerberus to start snoozing.

It was quite fortunate that Fluffy's heads fell onto his paws and not onto the relatively small trapdoor he was hiding. Weasley immediately went to open it and peer inside.

"What can you see?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Nothing, just black. There's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop" Ron replied.

Potter who was still playing the flute waved at the red-head to get his attention and then pointed at himself. Saeko rolled her eyes at his need to be a hero, or savior more accurately, even if it was greatly impractical. Predictably the cerberus almost woke up when the wooden instrument was exchanged.

"If anything happens to me don't follow, go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore. Ok?" Harry ordered and then he lowered himself into the hole. Then he let go.

Saeko cursed at his recklessness but did nothing. Fortunately a moment later the boy shouted "It's ok! It's a soft landing, you can jump."

The second youngest Weasley followed his best mate. Hermione waited for confirmation and then she jumped in as well. The cerberus immediately jerked up and snorted. Saeko wasted no time and threw herself into the trapdoor, expanding her chakra outwards, trying to stick herself to a wall or any other surface.

Finding something she cold grip onto, Saeko's fall broke. Her sharingan did not give her night vision but the ninja activated it all the same, immediately analyzing the situation.

"It's Devil's Snare!" Granger shouted in alarm.

Saeko noticed that as well and immediately changed her location. Since the plant was part of the first-year curriculum the jounin left it for the trio. She hoped Hermione's know-it-all attitude would come through.

Surprisingly it was Potter who came up with the solution "So light a fire!"

"Yes, of course…. But there is no wood!" Hermione started panicking. Saeko fought the urge to face-palm.

The boys, despite being constricted by the plant, had actually cooler heads. Following their terrified instructions Granger conjured blue flames. The Devil's Snare shirked back, away from the light and heat, and released its captives. Potter, Weasley and Granger immediately ran towards the only exit.

Saeko followed.

The stone passageway sloped downwards, leading the group and their shadow deep under the school. All three Gryffindors marched in silence until light could be seen.

"Do you hear something?" Ron whispered. Saeko could hear it too, it sounded like the fluttering of wings.

Finally the passageway connected with a large brightly lit room. The Uchiha stayed in the shadow that the passage provided while the trio went on.

"They are keys, winged keys!" Ron breathed out in awe.

"_Hundreds_ of them!"

Potter looked back up after trying the door on the other side of the room "So, we've got to catch the right key for that door."

"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one. Probably silver, like the handle" Ron analyzed after inspecting the lock.

Each of the trio took a broomstick from the offered rack and flew into the swarm of keys. Hermione was clearly uncomfortable but was searching for the key, same as the others. Ultimately it was the Gryffindor seeker who spotted their target.

The three coordinated quite nicely and managed to capture a large silver key with bright blue wings. The key itself struggled heavily to free itself and Potter had to ram it into the keyhole.

Saeko, who had quite enjoyed the show, nearly chuckled - wizards truly had no upper body strength. Or any strength for that matter.

"Ready?" the scarred boy asked, hand on the door handle. Ron and Hermione nodded.

The next chamber was dark but as soon as the students cautiously stepped light flooded in, revealing a huge chessboard.

When Saeko first saw the chess pieces, each as big as a person if not bigger, she had to sigh - yet another stupid test. If it were only her she might've tried blowing up the 'enemy' king piece or the door itself. It would probably lead to an attack but what the hell.

As it was she only waited in a shadowy corner, hoping Weasley's boast about his chess skill would ran true.

The three firsties moved around the board - Weasley as a knight, Potter as a bishop while Granger took a rook's place.

"_Well, shit_" Saeko thought as she analyzed the chess game before her.

Ron seemed to draw the same conclusion "I've got to be taken."

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!" the red-head snapped, "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and the queen will take me. That leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry."

"But…"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Wesley said desperately, trying to get it over with so he doesn't change his mind. Saeko sympathized, waiting to have your head bashed in had to be unpleasant.

At Harry's resigned nod Ron stepped forward, pale but determined. The white queen turned to face him and then she pounced.

Saeko winced, these stone arms looked heavy.

Ron crashed to the floor. Hermione screamed but had the presence of mind to stay on her square. As the Weasley was deposited to the side of the board, Saeko made her way there. When Potter and Granger focused back to the game the ninja quickly checked him over. Ron was bleeding, unconscious and definitely concussed, but otherwise he seemed fine.

Having won the match the two remaining Gryffindors reluctantly continued their journey. When Harry opened the door a disgusting smell assaulted their senses. Saeko quickly peeked into the next chamber and was reassured to see a dead troll. Seeing there was no imminent danger she quickly doubled back and stopped Weasley's bleeding.

"Ready?" Potter asked again, this time next to the other door. Hermione nodded again. The firsties stepped in, Saeko close behind.

As soon as all three entered the next chamber a purple fire sprang up behind them. Saeko nearly got singed.

"What do we have to do now?" Harry said tensely, eyeing the second fire that started on the opposite side of the room, in front of the next door.

"Look!" Hermione said as she noticed a roll of parchment lying next to the row of potion bottles.

The bushy-haired girl read the paper out loud. Saeko listened intently. "_Snape__'s a poet, what do you know_" the jounin thought.

After a short while Hermione exclaimed "Got it! The smallest one will get us thought the black flames."

Harry picked up the bottle and inspected it "There is only enough there for one of us. Hardly one swallow."

The two first-years looked at each other. "Which one will get you through the purple flames?" the boy asked.

Hermione picked up another bottle and held it up. Saeko didn't need to listen to know Potter's plan. Instead she studied the black flames from afar. Fūka Hōin, the fire sealing method, was capable of containing even Amaterasu. Since she was able to produce it Saeko carried the seal with her. She would chance it.

The Uchiha waited until she was alone - Granger managed it safely through the purple flames and Potter stepped into the black ones. When she was unseen she approached the fire "_Fūka Hōin_!"

The seal started siphoning the flames. Saeko would never admit it but she was relieved it worked on this foreign fire.

When it was safe she slithered into the next chamber.

"_Aaaand it__'__s Quirrell. Of course it is_." Quirrell and a bound Potter were the only ones in the room. The DADA professor was in the middle of a monologue and didn't seem to notice the ninja. Saeko frowned when she noticed the Mirror of Erised in the middle of the room.

When the man turned to face the mirror he spoke out loud "I don't understand. Is the Stone _inside_ the Mirror? Should I break it? What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

To Saeko's surprise a voice actually replied "Use the boy!"

Quirrell strong-armed Potter in front of the mirror "Tell me what you see!"

Harry gulped but obliged. The jounin noticed his pupils dilating in surprise. The Potter's eyes briefly flicked onto himself, then Quirrell and then the mirror again. Clearly lying he spoke up "I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor."

Saeko rolled her eyes at the obvious lie but the professor seemed to believe him. Quirrell sneered and returned his gaze to the Mirror until the voice from before spoke up "He lies. He lies!"

"Potter, come back here!"

"Let me speak to him. Face to face" the mysterious high voice demanded.

Quirrell argued it but then he began unrolling his turban. "_Well, that__'__s disgusting"_ Saeko thought as the origin of the voice was revealed - a face stuck on the back of the man's head.

The issuing dialogue was quite enlightening but Saeko focused more on how to intervene without being seen. The first thing that came to mind was genjutsu. But the Uchiha had no idea how it would work on a parasitic entity or someone attached to it.

Harry who managed to get himself somewhat free sprung towards the fire-free door when both entities were focused on the Mirror. He didn't go far.

As soon as Quirrell caught Harry's wrist he screamed in pain, his hands smoking as if being burnt. "SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort ordered and his follower tried again with the same result.

The-Boy-Who-Lived realized what was happening and attached himself at his attacker, pawning at his eyes and face. Quirrell let out an inhumane howl of pain. Potter, much paler than before, seemed to wobble

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" Voldemort urged on.

Saeko had enough and jumped to the rescue. She gripped Quirrell by his robe, ripped him from the dazed boy and flung him into a wall.

The man recovered quickly, aided by the rage of his master. Saeko did not hesitate and released the flames she had stored in the _Fūka Hōin_.

Quirrell screamed in pain again as he caught fire. He struggled, trying to douse extinguish the flames but it was no use, the black fire clung to the man and didn't let go.

Voldemort screamed in rage. Seeing as his host was lost he chose to abandon him. Black, oily vapor escaped the burning professor.

"_That__'s it? Oh, well…"_ Seeing as her main opponent evaporated, she switched her focus to Harry. She scanned him by a diagnostic jutsu. He was unconscious but alright, he seemed severely drained, like suffering from chakra exhaustion.

"_Kuchiose no jutsu!"_

Lykke appeared in a poof of smoke "Hi! Who's the burning husk?"

"A very bad teacher"

"Bad at teaching or bad as in evil?"

"Both actually" Saeko shrugged, "Find Dumbledore and bring him here. Thanks."

The bird nodded and took flight. Saeko made herself comfortable on the floor and resigned to long wait.

* * *

><p><strong>AN3: So I know this was supposed to happen after the exams but it just didn<strong>**'t seem to fit - J.K wrote that because Harry was unconscious he missed the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw match. I like all quidditch to be done before the exams, since it makes more sense (at least to me) so I will be changing the timeline slightly. But hey, I'm a fanfiction author and we are allowed to do that.**


	72. 4- 72 In Absentia

**AN: Sorry, but Harry****'s absence is canon… I know you guys were looking forward to a match between him and Saeko****'s team.**

* * *

><p><strong>*In Absentia*<strong>

Saeko put the finishing touches on her colorful make up since it was decided that the theme of this match would be 'war paint and war drums'. It was tame enough to pass muster McGonagall had set on quidditch matches after the Gryffindor fireworks fiasco. It looked good too.

All done she joined the equally painted male counterparts in the short corridor that led to the pitch "Ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Rory exclaimed.

Everybody made sounds of agreement except Frost who only sighed. Saeko patted her seeker's arm "What's up? I know this is your final quidditch game…"

"It's not that. Well, maybe a bit" Frost confessed, "It's more that I have been looking forward to one day telling my children all about the quidditch game in which I defeated The-Boy-Who-Lived."

"And now the brat's in the infirmary and you are playing against a reserve" Wayne said understandingly.

Frost sighed heavily.

Saeko grinned "Well, we will still be defeating the team he plays in."

"It's just not the same..."

The Uchiha decided tough love necessary "Unfortunate. Now pull yourself together, I won't have you make this easy on the no-name seeker by moping. Be careful, we don't know anything about him - I don't like not having information."

"Unpredictable elements are often the most dangerous" McPherson said pompously. Everybody rolled their eyes but more or less agreed. True to his disposition he continued "Still, a pity about Potter, he was pretty good. Not that it would've mattered."

"Bad timing that. Though he will be up for his exams. Lucky him" Cameron grinned.

The Uchiha clapped her hands together "Stop talking about Potter, he's a non-issue!"

"Yes, Captain" the team chorused.

"Good minions" Saeko said approvingly.

James growled but the other guys just chuckled. Jared put his broom on his shoulder and took a look at the pitch "It's time, I see McGonagall. So, how about a speech Captain?"

"Speech?"

"Uh-uh" the boys nodded and looked at the brunette in anticipation.

Saeko tapped her chin in thought. Then she struck a pose she saw Jiraiya use in his introduction once and exclaimed "Let there be cake!"

"…What?" Cameron ventured.

"I read it somewhere. You wanted a speech, here it is. Now let's go kick some ass" the ninja said flatly and mounted her broom.

The team followed suit, already used to their Captain's moods. It wasn't long and Lee Jordan was calling them onto the field.

"_And here comes Uchiha's little pack! Swarm? How do you call it with eagles, does anyone know?"_

"A convocation, mister Jordan. Now get on with it!" McGonagall said sharply from her place behind Lee.

"_All right, all right! Anyways we__'ve got Uchiha, Bishop, Martin, Young, Gallaher, McPherson aaaaand Frost r__epresenting Ravenclaw! I__'m sure everyone can see the big smile on Frost's face, might it be because the Gryffindor primary seeker is indisposed?"_

"Mister Jordan!"

"_And flying in scarlet, the glorious Gryffindors - Wood, Spinnet, Johnson, Bell, Weasley times two aaand Pickens! Go Lions!"_

"Mr Jordan"

"_And GO Eagles!"_

Both teams chuckled as they arranged themselves around Madame Hooch. While Lee continued his commentary the referee gave her usual speech about fair play.

The Eagles focused all their attention to the reserve seeker, Pickens. The attempt to intimidate him fell surprisingly short, the sixth year seemed sure of himself. Cocky even. Saeko shared a look with Jared _'let's make this fun'_.

Madame Hooch cleared her throat significantly and put her whistle near her lips.

"_And they__'re off! Spinnet stole the quaffle right under Gallaher's nose, great job Alicia!"_

Saeko tuned out the commentary, focusing solely on her role as beater. It was decided that the first wave of bludgers would go to the chasers since it would be expected to target the new seeker.

Weasley #1 intercepted the first bludger and the second twin took care of the second black ball that was aimed at his brother. This maneuver put them on the list of dangerously competent players. It was time to up the game.

The next minutes were marked by Saeko and Jared flying at break neck speed, effectively hunting the Gryffindor chasers. The Weasleys might have some kind of twin connection but the Ravens were just plain faster and stronger. And cooperated seamlessly with the rest of the blue-clad team.

The score difference rose steadily but then Frost managed to distract both Weasleys by feigning a dive for the snitch. Jared went to protect his teammate and Saeko used the opportunity to catch Bell right in her side. A loud whine of pain later and the Gryffindor chaser nearly slipped from her broom.

"We'll get you for this" Fred/George hissed at the ninja at his next pass. Saeko merely spun her bat and smirked.

True to his words the Lions became more vicious, the beaters especially. But the Ravenclaws had no problem enduring - they were used to overcome even Slytherin's style of play and the scarlet players never sunk to their level.

Lee Jordan was becoming more and more agitated in his commentary, especially after Saeko and Jared went to town on the Gryffindor reserve seeker. The two beaters smirked at each other when the once cocky sixth-year was barely hanging onto his broom.

When yet another bludger found his mark coupled with yet another goal Jordan abandoned all pretences and started cheering his team on _"Come, on Lions! Pickens, stop dallying and find the frigging snitch!"_

"**Mr Jordan**!" came the scandalized response from behind him.

"_I__'m sorry professor McGonagall, but… __**Fred, smash her face!"**_

The commentator and his warden started wrestling for the microphone, apparently enough was enough. Then the happenings on the field cause Jordan to unceremoniously yank the microphone for himself and resume his job _"Frost is diving! I repeat Frost is diving and this time it looks genuine! Pickens get a move on!"_

The boy was in a sorry state but dived after his Ravenclaw counterpart, never mind it would take a miracle to catch up with him.

Predictable Pickens failed and Jordan sullenly announced "Frost catches the snitch, Ravenclaw WINS! 450 to 110. Since the Eagles won all their matches it's a no brainer we've got our Quidditch Champions! Congrats, I guess."

"Mr Jordan" McGonagall sighed and put her head into her palms, a picture of resigned helplessness.

The Ravenclaws didn't really care about the byplay and started cheering once Hooch signalized the end of the match. The sounds of drums and the inevitable caws nearly drowned Jordan's after match commentary.

Saeko and her team landed, they didn't even cheer, after all they all knew they were going to win. They all high-fived and then bowed to their fans.

Headmaster Dumbledore, closely followed by the grinning Flitwick, came onto the pitch carrying the quidditch trophy. The Eagles stayed put, big smile on their faces, waiting for the ceremony.

Wayne elbowed his captain and nodded in the direction of the Gryffindor team, who stood grumpily out of the way, all of them pretty banged up and glaring.

"I ruined my chances with the Gryff chasers, huh?" Saeko smirked, "Pity, all three of them are really cute."

* * *

><p><strong>Ash and Saeko<strong>**'s Room**

The day after their big victory the Ravens were all business again, with nothing to distract them anymore everybody focused on their imminent exams.

Potter was still asleep, a fact the students stopped caring about as soon as quidditch season ended. Quirrell was another story - at first people thought he was sick or something and that he would be back. Now though, as the exams neared, his absence was felt keenly. Not so much in class, most students self-studied anyway, but now everybody worried about the final examinations.

"I'm tired of this" Ashley sighed and closed his potions textbook.

"It's almost over" Saeko comforted.

"I really need the holidays, this is killing me"

Realizing her roommate only wanted to complain, not talk, the Uchiha just shrugged and continued her own reading.

Several minutes passed and Ashley spoke up again "How come you're calm."

"I'm always calm"

"True" the smaller brunette sighed.

…

"Still, you're much more mellow than usual"

Saeko rolled her eyes "You _really_ don't want to study right now."

"Nope. But I have to" the Brit glared at her book.

"Yes, you have to"

…

Not even a minute passed and Ash sighed theatrically loud.

"Sex reduces stress levels. Alleviates boredom too" Saeko said airily, her eyes not straying from her book.

"Saeko!"

The Uchiha smirked "Just trying to help."

"Thanks" Ash rolled her eyes.

"No problem"

The two girls resumed reading. After a while Saeko had enough "Stop fidgeting! Go for a walk or something."

"No way! I don't want to get caught by the Weasley twins" the Brit exclaimed.

Saeko had to nod, the two Gryffindors went on a pranking spree after their lost match. In only a day they became a menace. Well, more than usual. "_Sore losers_"

There was a knock on the door, Saeko called "Come in."

Ashley looked at the entrance and smiled brilliantly "Helena! How nice it is to see you!"

"Is she high or something?" the blonde asked Saeko, eyebrows raised.

The ninja shrugged. The smaller brunette rolled her eyes "Of course not. I just want a distraction. Saeko isn't helping."

"I suggested she got laid"

Helena chuckled "The Ravens do seem to get horny in exam time."

"Not you too, Helena!"

Saeko roared in laughter and held up her hand for a high-five. The blonde smirked and obliged. Ashley put her hands over her face and started fake-sobbing.

"What did you came here for, Helena?" Saeko asked.

"I finished revising potions, I decided I deserve a break"

"Shougi?"

"Why not" the pureblood agreed and made herself comfortable on Saeko's bed.

As the ninja went to fetch her shougi board Ash sighed yet again "You guys are boring."

"You have known us for four years, you shouldn't be surprised by now" Helena said disinterestedly.

"Ugh"

Saeko spoke up "How about a drink?"

"How is that suppose to entertain me?" Ash put her book decidedly away.

"We are not gophers, you know that right?" the Uchiha arched an eyebrow.

Ashley scoffed "We've both seen Helena's cosmetics bag, she could sponsor a dozen clowns."

"Says the girl who's bordering on goth when we don't have class" the blonde shot back.

"You know what goth means?" Ashley was surprised enough to forgo a quip back.

Helena flicked her hair with an air of superiority.

Saeko chuckled while Ash rolled her eyes "You know what, I'm going to find Peter."

"Sounds fun" Saeko sing-songed and mover her first piece on the board.

When the smaller brunette left the girls played in silence. It was quite relaxing, everything fell away as their concentration went full to the game. Saeko played with a small smile, being reminded of her matches with Shikamaru.

There was a knocking on the window and both girls looked up. It was Skygge, the summon assigned to Potter.

Helena stood up and stretched "You've got a message. I'm going to the bathroom anyways. Don't cheat, I'll know if you will."

Saeko rolled her eyes and went to open the window. When the door closed behind the Gray heiress, Skygge landed on her summoner's shoulder "Potter woke up."

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

The Hall was buzzing as always during dinnertime, maybe a bit more since it was noticed that Potter resumed sitting at the Gryffindor table. The chatter stopped almost immediately when Dumbledore stood up and waited for silence.

"I know there had been whispers about the absence of professor Quirrell. I regret to inform you that he will not be returning. Nonetheless the Defense Against the dark Arts exam will be taking place, though it will be purely theoretical."

Whispers erupted, most students were upset that they studied for the practical part in vain.

Dumbledore raised his voice slightly to achieve silence once more "There is one other matter. I need to allot several House points."

More murmurs.

"First, to Ronald Weasley for an excellent tactical mind, I award Gryffindor 50 points."

The Great hall fell completely silent for a beat - this was a massive jump in points. Then the Lions started cheering wildly. The rest of the student body was much less enthused, the reason Dumbledore gave was very, very vague and with such an amount… They knew something was up. Or more precisely, something _had been up_.

"Secondly," the headmaster continued, "to Hermione Granger, for her cool use of logic, I award Gryffindor 50 points."

When the elder showed no sign of stopping Slytherin, Hufflepuff and mainly Ravenclaw grew fearful for their position in the race for the House Cup.

"Thirdly, to Harry Potter, for his outstanding bravery and determination, I award Gryffindor 60 points.

This was getting ridiculous, the House of the Brave just gained enough points to jump onto second place. The Badgers and Snakes were all frowning or hissing in outrage, not at all happy about this mysterious development. The Ravens were still as statues - they had a big lead thanks to their proficiency in academics and the victories in quidditch, but they would not be able to withstand another blow.

"And last but not least, to Neville Longbottom, for his courage to stand up for what is right, I award Gryffindor 10 points."

There was a pause when everybody did the math. Paradoxically it was the Ravenclaws who made the most noise as they all chorused "YES!"

The Gryffindors were hoping for another 50 point boost when Dumbledore kept speaking so they were a bit bummed out. Still, getting from last place to second in only a couple of seconds was not bad. The cheers built up - the Lions actually had a chance to win. A small one but it was there - it would require being on their absolute best behaviors during exams week and the Ravens to do the exact opposite.

Dumbledore sat back down, small smile on his lips, eyes twinkling. The rest of the teachers seemed torn.

"The hell!" Graham exclaimed over the party sounds coming from the far left table.

The other fourth year Ravenclaws nodded, all of them quite confused and pissed. Caitlin sneered "It must have something to do with Quirrell's disappearing act."

"Totally" Peter agreed.

"At least we are still in the lead" Daniel tried to look on the bright side.

Paddy arched his eyebrow "Not trying to get to the bottom of this mystery mister auror?"

"I'm sure that everybody involved will be tight lipped. If professor Dumbledore chose not to divulge anything I doubt we will be able to find out" Daniel shrugged.

"I agree" Saeko spoke up hiding her disinterest - she already knew what the points were for. Not that she was happy about it.

"Potter and his friends are heroes again. It restores the points they lost and then some" Peter pursed his lips as he observed the celebrating Gryffindors.

"They do seem out of the doghouse" Helena hummed.

"I don't like it" Graham announced.

"Potter & co?"

Graham shook his head "The situation as a whole. I don't care about BWL."

"We'll just have to behave" Ashley replied.

Caitlin looked at the ninja, arms crossed "Next year we'll have to squish Potter personally on the quidditch pitch."

"Aye, but you'll have to make the team first. I _will_ be holding trials" the Ravenclaw quidditch captain smirked.

"Please," the red-head rolled her eyes, "There is no way I'm messing it up after enduring your training."

"Good to know. You better train during summer too though" Saeko smiled.

"You betcha"

"Did you talk to the team? About then staying I mean" Paddy inquired.

"I did"

"And?"

The Uchiha sighed "All of them are out except Jared."

"Bishop's staying? Awesome! The unbeatable beaters!" Graham cheered.

"Indeed" Saeko hummed. Her stance was that everything would sort itself out next september, no need to obsess now. At the moment she was focused on the exams and then Konoha.

It seemed Ashley was of a similar mind "Let's focus on the exams now, we begin the day after tomorrow."

"Buzzkill"

"I prefer responsible"

"I distinctly remember you setting fire at the curtains in the Common Room" Graham arched an eyebrow.

"That was an accident" Ashley replied flatly.

"That was apparent when you shrieked, ran like a headless chicken and then started shouting 'Water! Water! '"

"Shut up or I'll feed you to the Whomping Willow"

Graham gulped and promptly obliged. When Ashley looked away in satisfaction the boy shot Saeko a reproachful look. The Uchiha smirked, she_ did_ try to cultivate her friends' sadistic sides.

"Hihihi"

"Saeko?"

"Yes?"

"Did you just… giggle?"

"The Uchiha don't giggle" Saeko shot them her clan's patented stare.

"uh-uh"

"Whomping Willow"

"Shutting up now"

"Good boy"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Since Saeko clearly helped in defeating Quirrell and retrieving the Stone, I felt Gryffindor winning would be plain unfair… Also, I always hated this part in the Books - I mean Dumbledore giving enough points to go from last place to first with a bullshit explanation?<strong>


	73. 4- 73 A Day at the Office

**AN: A bit of a silly chapter, but hey, I was in the mood. Jack Daniels Honey might****'ve played a part too…**

* * *

><p><strong>*A Day at the Office*<strong>

"Oh, thank Kami!"

"Niisan?" Saeko asked, still a bit disoriented by the suddenness of a portkey.

"I need you to go to the Council Meeting in my stead" Itachi announced.

The younger Uchiha arched her eyebrows in disbelief "I literally_ just_ arrived"

"It's a routine one, we have no predetermined stance"

"So I should only sit there and look mean" Saeko said, unimpressed.

"Please," Itachi fluttered his eyelashes, "I have got an ANBU drill"

"One you indubitably scheduled" the girl murmured, "What was your plan if I didn't come?"

Itachi seemed to glow in happiness "You're the best imouto-chan!"

"I still didn't say yes"

"You will" the black-ops captain sing-songed.

"I will. So, the plan?"

"Uchiha Jin"

"Ah"

"Precisely"

"You should hurry up and get married, Mihane could stand in while I'm on mission" Saeko grumbled.

"Not in years. The elders would have a fit"

"Maybe even a heart attack!"

"We're not that lucky"

"Let me dream, brother" the witch chuckled. "So when's the meeting?"

"Thirty minutes" Itachi shared happily.

Saeko sighed long-sufferingly "Itachi…"

"I hoped you would arrive in time. Good luck" he hastily added the last part and fast-walked out of the room.

"Swell," the brunette commented and then looked down at her school robes, "I need to change."

X

"… I would direct this honorable council's attention to…"

Saeko was hidden behind her Uchiha stoic mask, cold and unmoving. She envied Nara Shikaku who appeared to be snoozing. The girl knew perfectly well that he was paying attention but still, he looked mighty comfortable.

The civilian banker droned on and on. The worst part was that he already relayed all the relevant information in his first few sentences and now he was just enjoying hearing himself talk.

"Thank you Yamada-san. Your insights are greatly appreciated." Sarutobi said with a genial smile. The banker smiled and nodded. "Haruno-san, you requested to speak next" the Hokage continued with the meeting's agenda.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama" the merchant nodded with a tight smile and started talking about general trade.

Her speech was followed by a short discussion. Even the Nara Clan Head woke up to chime in when medicinal herbs and remedies were brought up.

"Very well. Meeting adjourned" Sarutobi announced when it was clear everybody had their turn. Everybody started to stand up when the elder spoke one more time "Could the Shinobi Council stay behind."

"Troublesome" the jounin commander murmured.

The monkey summoner chuckled "Fortunately not. There are several promising candidates for jounin, but none that would warrant a decisive and immediate promotion."

"Jounin Examinations" the Hyuuga lord nodded.

"Indeed"

"How many candidates?" Saeko asked.

"Fourteen"

Asuma started playing with an unlit cigarette "Quite a number."

"Some of them have the potential to surprise us" the senior Sarutobi smiled in satisfaction.

"How many for real?" asked Inuzuka Tsume.

"Four" the Hokage hummed, "As for the examiners I was hoping to borrow Inuzuka Keigo."

Tsume barked a laugh "He'll be glad to stretch out his old bones."

"Excellent" Hizuzen nodded, "Shikaku, if you would help him plan the Examination."

"Troublesome"

* * *

><p><strong>Training Ground 16<strong>

Saeko was dreading slightly what she was about to do. But it was necessary.

Finally walking into the small clearing she nodded at Lee, Neji and Tenten, but her target was different this time "Guy-sempai!"

"Saeko-san! I see you have returned from your mission unharmed. Yosh!" the green-clad jounin exclaimed boisterously.

Lee gave her thumbs up "How youthful, a solo A-rank uninjured. I shall try as well! If I fail I'll do 1000 laps around Konoha!"

"What a splendid sentiment! Yosh, my beautiful student, let's request an A-rank!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

The Uchiha averted her eyes almost on reflex. _It's not too late, you can still back out. Invite Neji out for lunch or something._

"Guy-sempai, I wanted to ask if I could join you in training today. Maybe a spar later" Saeko braved.

The two sane members of Team 9 looked at Saeko incredulously. The Uchiha could understand. Oh, how she understood. But the fact was she needed a refresher. At Hogwarts she trained, sparred as well when Itachi had time, but it was not enough. She needed at least a week of intensive training. In Scotland she got her chakra control to medic near-Tsunade level, her affinities close, a ton of new techniques but her reflexes were deteriorated. Guy-sensei was the perfect cure. If you had mental fortitude, that is.

Guy started crying anime tears and then shouted "How YOUTHFUL!..."

Saeko tuned out the rest. Instead she got herself in 'the zone' - where pain means nothing and crying is resisted.

X

**Konoha Onsen, hours later**

"You alright Saeko?" Tenten asked after the first few minutes of soaking in the hot water.

"Hn" was the tired reply.

"I think Guy-sensei got a bit overenthusiastic, it's not often he gets to spar with somebody who isn't Kakashi-sensei. Or one of us, but then he holds back."

"Hn"

"You made sensei very happy though" the older girl continued, "He loves to work hard."

This time Saeko didn't even bother with the classic Uchiha reply.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" Anko called from the entrance and strolled into the water. Kurenai who was following her just greeted the two girls softly.

"Hello Kurenai-sensei, Anko-san" Tenten smiled.

"Hn"

The purplette cozed up to the Uchiha prodigy "So what's happened to you? You look exhausted. Threesome with people who like it rough?"

"Anko!" Kurenai chastised her friend.

Saeko spoke up for the first time since entering the hot springs "How could I, you and Yuuko were busy."

"Saeko-san!" Kurenai exclaimed.

Tenten just awkwardly chuckled while Anko laughed loudly "We'll make ourselves available."

Kurenai just shook her head and resigned herself to her friend corrupting youths "So what did happen?"

"Hn"

The older kunoichi looked at Tenten who shrugged "It was decided Saeko was very youthful."

"Aaah" Anko and Kurenai said in understanding.

"I might need some doctoring" Saeko joked salaciously.

"I don't think you are up to it" Anko smirked, "You know I can be very demanding."

"Didn't you hear, I'm youthful"

Both Kurenai and Tenten pace-palmed.

* * *

><p><strong>Nara Compound<strong>

Saeko moved her lance piece after her long deliberation. Shikamaru got into his thinking position which was the highest form of flattery the next Nara Clan Head could give.

Then he finally moved one of his pawns "You got better."

"I trained"

Another exchange went quietly. After a while Saeko spoke up "How is Logistics?"

"Troublesome"

The Uchiha rolled her eyes "Naturally, but I wanted a little more than that. Now that Chouji and Ino got promoted you don't go on missions that often. And your Department is boring."

"Just how I like it" the chuunin shrugged.

"Well, it's not like I'm complaining, you are being groomed for Jounin Commander and I can only benefit" the aspirant Hokage grinned.

Shikamaru sighed and moved another piece. After some more silence Saeko sighed as well "You are no fun. You're lucky I'm not pestering you for gossip."

"Check mate in ten" the Nara announced with a little smirk, "Do you want to watch clouds?"

Saeko studied the board "You little shit. Another?"

"Nah, I'd prefer watching the clouds."

"But that's boring"

…

"Yeah, right, look who I'm talking to" Saeko sighed and stood up, "I'm going to find someone more active." Shikamaru just shrugged and lied down on the grass. The Uchiha rubbed her forehead and muttered "That's not going to be hard."

"Try Ino, she's been in a nagging mood recently"

"Hn"

Before more could be said an ANBU appeared in a whirlwind of leaves "Uchiha-san, you are called for a mission."

"Oh, thank Kami" Saeko sighed in relief, happy for something to do.

X

**Hokage****'s Office, four days later**

Sarutobi sighed and went fishing for his pipe "So, let me get this straight…"

Saeko and the other three ninja who had been the team for that particular mission still stood at attention, not daring to even blink.

"… you started with an easy low B-rank for fresh chuunin that you three are and you ended with… with…"

"A clusterfuck, sir?" Saeko piped up helpfully.

Hiruzen paused and then rubbed his brow "Actually, yes."

The four ninja waited patiently for the aged leader to speak again. Finally he sighed "I might pass your report to Kakashi, his stories are getting a bit old and he could use some new material."

Saeko stood up even straighter "It might be a bit bizarre but the report is accurate."

"Oh, I believe you" Sarutobi said and let out a smoke circle, "Though it might've helped not starting one of the reports with 'a transvestite, a fat guy and a thief entered the bar'"

Three of the temporary team members looked at the fourth who blushed "I couldn't resist. How often that happens!"

"Indeed" the Hokage hummed and the team fell silent again. He leafed through the pages of the reports "I also especially liked how the stolen treasure was being used as a prize in a haiku competition."

"We decided winning it would cause less ruckus than stealing it back" one of the chuunin reported.

"A lovely poem indeed" the Hokage said airily.

The third chuunin brightened, grinned and said "Thank you Hokage-sama!" The rest of his team glared at him incredulously and the chuunin shut up immediately.

Sarutobi chuckled "And then there was the family drama concerning Lord Shimizu's family and court."

"It's not our fault everybody was sleeping with everybody" one chuunin muttered.

"You left the palace in absolute chaos" Hiruzen continued.

"Not of our making" Saeko countered respectfully.

One chuunin nodded emphatically "Yeah. We just showed up with the object of our mission and everybody just started shouting at each other."

A corner of Sarutobi's mouth twitched upwards "The advisors to the daimyo are not pleased."

"And the daimyo himself?" the Uchiha asked in a concerned tone.

"Quite amused"

Saeko permitted herself a smile.

The Hokage finally chuckled "Dismissed."

When the team bowed and exited the office Sarutobi Hiruzen put his feet on the table and laughed out loud. Then he addressed a corner of his office "Would you believe that?"

The ANBU stayed professionally silent.

"I love this job sometimes" Sarutobi smiled and puffed from his pipe.


	74. 4- 74 Shawshank Unrepentant

***Shawshank Unrepentant***

**Akemi****'s ****Tea Shop**

"…and then when I looked at them I realized they were sisters!" Saeko finished her story and roared in laughter.

Mihane chuckled and shook her head in faux exasperation "You slept with two sisters and you didn't even know?"

"Both were civilians and I checked them out for potential danger, not familial ties" the teen defended.

The former ANBU smirked "_Check them out_, alright. You know, Itachi-kun warned me that you've got... great stories."

"He's not really happy about my… proclivities but hey, every jounin has some quirks" Saeko shrugged.

"I worked with Tonbo-san for quite a while" Mihane waved it off.

"The sensor with the whole head covered in bandages? He works for Intel, right?"

"That's him" the older brunette sighed.

"Though I must confess, now that you live with Itachi-nii I find myself a bit envious. It seems nice" Saeko shared.

"I'm quite happy" Mihane smiled unguardedly.

Saeko smiled back. Both her brother and his fiancée really _did_ seem happy, she wasn't kidding that she felt a twinge of envy. Maybe when her Hogwarts stint was over she would look for a stable relationship.

"Shit" Mihane swore as she looked up.

Saeko mimicked the action and she spotted a Konoha messenger hawk. '_General alarm, all available jounin, prison break, chuunin on lookout._' Shit, indeed.

Both jounin shot up from their seats and began running towards the Konoha High Security Facility. Along the way they picked up another two jounin who had been eating at a restaurant nearby.

The first thing the foursome encountered was a lone Nara chuunin who was struggling to keep five men in prison jumpsuits in his shadow bind. The jounin immediately knocked the prisoners out.

The chuunin slumped down, breathing heavily. "Nara-san, tie them up and stay with them. If another chuunin passes by get him to help you drag them to the village" Saeko ordered when Mihane and the other two continued running.

"Yes, ma'am"

Saeko took off after her brother's fiancée. She passed another jounin who was tying up a prisoner along several others who had been caught quite easily since they still had on chakra repressing seals.

Before she could go on she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. She immediately dodged to the side, evading a small hail of shuriken.

The prisoner grinned, attacking with a kunai. Saeko growled - the equipment meant the man had stolen it from a Konoha nin, possibly from his dead body.

"My name is…" the prisoner began.

Saeko slashed him with her tantō "I don't really care."

As her enemy fell Saeko felt another presence nearby. This prisoner wasted no time speaking and shot twin bolts of lightning from his palms.

The Uchiha prodigy substituted onto a tree nearby, immediately casting a genjutsu. The prisoner shook it off with surprising ease and retaliated with ninja wire, electrical current running through them.

Saeko shoved the wires aside with a strong wind push, wind winning against lightening as always, and with her other hand she cast a limited body-bind.

The prisoner tripped and Saeko kicked him hard into his head. Then again, just to be sure.

"Uchiha-san!"

The girl turned to see Kotetsu and Izumo. Saeko smiled and nodded towards the two unconscious prisoners "You guys are Intel, right? Glad to see you ok, could you get those two out of my hands, please."

"Sure thing" Kotetsu nodded.

"Be careful, we're part of the med-evac - we've got people down, including Asuma and Kurenai" Izumo cautioned.

Saeko frowned "Who got them?"

"Unknown"

The jounin nodded and took off again.

Saeko encountered two more fights but did not interfere, the jounin who intercepted the prisoners in question seemed to have it well in hand.

When the girl was nearly at the underground facility she heard voices, one in particular she was surprised to hear "Iruka-sensei?"

The scarred teacher was exhausted and injured, demanding an explanation from his once-friend. Mizuki on the other hand was covered in black markings akin to the famous curse seal of the Oto ninja. Since Mizuki seemed in a chatty mood Saeko hid and listened, ready to spring in Iruka's defense at the slightest hint of attack.

Just as Saeko was thinking up a plan of attack, already having confirmed Mizuki's allegiance to the late Orochimaru, another chuunin showed up.

Apparently Mizuki's fiancée.

The traitor didn't seem to care and threw her off. Iruka immediately jumped to catch her. Mizuki's seal seemed to have been geared to speed as he immediately appeared behind the scarred chuunin and drop-kicked with massive strength.

Saeko immediately activated her sharingan, making Mizuki's movements easily readable and jumped in the small clearing.

"An Uchiha, huh?" the prisoner grinned in a feral manner, "No matter, nothing can stand against me with Orochimaru's power running through my veins."

"The Snake is dead, it didn't help him" Saeko said in a disinterested manner, waiting for Iruka and the unnamed female chuunin to clear off.

Mizuki just laughed "You lie. I will just kill you three now and then I can find that Kyuubi brat and have my fun."

"Naruto beat you when he was still an academy student, the dead last to boot, what do you think you can accomplish now?" the brunette mocked.

The man growled "With this gift I'm ten times stronger!"

"Zero multiplied by ten is still zero" Saeko smirked.

Mizuki growled again. Then chakra seemed to leak out of him as a light purple fire and the black marks on his skin spread rapidly.

Saeko got into a defensive stance, watching as her opponent's body changed. When the curse settled Mizuki looked like a creature from her DADA books - a werewolf. Well, a were-tiger. The Uchiha would've laughed if the situation didn't seem so dire.

She needn't have worried. Mizuki came at her, no style, no techniques, just pure speed and animal like agility. Like Guy on an average day.

As she systematically beat the traitor down she thought "_Pity Naruto__'s__ not here. I__'ll have to write him a letter_."

"Hm, Saeko-san?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"I think he's out" the teacher ventured.

"Oh" Saeko looked down at the bloody mess, "You might be right."

When the Uchiha dropped Mizuki he proved he was still quite conscious as he started to slowly crawl. Then suddenly the light purple chakra appeared again but this time it seemed to take something from its carrier. In a matter of seconds the huge were-tiger shriveled into a mummy-like man.

"What... what happened! This is the ultimate body Orochimaru-sama gave me!" Mizuki breathed out in panic.

Saeko shrugged "I would say Orochi would mark this experiment as failed."

Mizuki started retching.

"Let's get him back" Iruka pursed his lips, "The hospital might want to take a look."

"I'm sure Ibiki will want to take a peek as well, especially after him attacking his people."

"Ouch"

X

**Konoha Hospital**

"Saeko?"

The Uchiha who had just entered the hospital room just blinked "Ino? Hey."

"Saeko, darling" Yuuko greeted tiredly from her bed. She smiled and tried to sit "What, no flowers?"

"I'm actually going on a mission in an hour or so I didn't have the time. Besides, you don't seem like that kind of gal" the brunette smirked.

Yuuko scoffed "I'm a Yamanaka, of course I'm that kind of gal."

Ino who had been observing the byplay pointed an accusing finger at her friend "I knew it! You're totally dating!"

"We are not" her cousin countered, "We are good friends who sometimes fuck."

"Yuuko!" Ino exclaimed.

"You could've put it more nicely" Saeko gently admonished.

The older blonde shrugged "I'm too tired for subtlety."

"I heard what happened from Anko. She had more luck for opponents" the jounin said as she inspected her lover's chart.

"Good for her" Yuuko grumbled, "I just withdrew from one of our jutsus and bam. Bastard got me good."

"I bet Saeko could kiss it better" Ino smirked.

"Don't be jealous" the interrogator smirked back.

Ino scoffed "Please, Iesada-kun's much cuter."

"Who?" Saeko asked.

The older blonde rolled her eyes "Some punk chuunin. A pretty-boy. You got him beat, no worry."

Both Yamanaka girls started arguing, it almost seemed like a habit. Saeko sat down on a chair nearby and enjoyed the show. She knew the girls were family but had no idea they were so close.

"Not again" Yamanaka Inoichi sighed as he stepped into the room. His girls didn't even pause. Saeko shared a long-suffering look with the man. Inoichi sighed once more and sat down next to the Uchiha.

"You're ok?" Saeko asked. She liked the head of the Yamanaka Clan, she talked to him often when she stopped by T&I. Besides, he and the rest of the Ino-Shika-Chou were a blast during the shinobi council sessions.

"I wasn't in the building" Inoichi answered sadly.

"Ibiki?"

"With me. Unfortunately most of the staff on duty were chuunin" the man sighed.

"Were there many casualties?"

Inoichi shook his head "Many injured but only three ninja were killed. The prisoners fared a bit worse. Fortunately none of them had any more useful information."

"What are you two whispering about" Ino demanded.

"Just the job, sweetheart" her father answered.

Yuuko looked at Saeko "Oh yeah, you did say you are going on a mission. Any fun?"

"I'm tracking Tsunade-hime again" the Uchiha answered.

"Why?" Ino asked.

Saeko shrugged "Can't say." She was pretty sure Inoichi knew about Orochimaru's super chakra juice but it still was classified. "I'm going with Team 8 though. Kurenai's injured so I'm borrowing them."

"Cool" the female Yamanaka chorused.

"Speaking of, I need to go" the scarred jounin stood up.

"Bye" said Ino and her father.

"Hey, no kiss?" Yuuko protested.

X

**Naka City, three weeks later**

"You again" Tsunade sighed exasperatedly into her sake.

Saeko smiled "Nice to see you too. Love what you have done with your hair."

"Ugh. What do you want?"

"Oh, you know, the usual - bask in your charm, a try to get you back to Konoha, Orochimaru's latest medical experiment…" the Uchiha prodigy shrugged.

Tsunade grunted and held up her hand. Saeko dug out the formula for the chakra juice from one of the pockets of her jounin flak jacket and gave it to her. The Senju looked it over "I thought ANBU killed my dear teammate."

"They did, but we are still finding his stuff everywhere" Saeko shrugged.

"Ha" the woman chuckled. "How did you find me anyway?"

Saeko looked over her shoulder to look at Team 8 who was dutifully standing out of the way as instructed. "I would say Konoha superb tracking" the teen began and Kiba puffed out his chest in pride, "But that would not be accurate. Jiraiya's toads helped." Kiba deflated and Hinata patted his shoulder.

Tsunade hummed "Hyuuga, Inuzuka and Aburame, a specialized tracking team. You think you could find Shizune?"

"You lost her somewhere?" Saeko asked.

"We had to make a hasty exit from the last town" the medic said without much interest.

"You know, I heard that the head of Konoha Hospital makes quite the pretty ryo" the brunette smirked.

"Not a chance gaki"

Saeko laughed and then called over her shoulder "Yo, Team 8!"

"Hai, taichō!"

"Could you please find Tsunade-hime's apprentice and their pet pig" the jounin instructed.

Kiba blinked "Pet pig."

"Yep"

"Alright. On it" the Inuzuka arched an eyebrow, "That shouldn't be hard to find, right Akamaru?"

"whoof"

Hinata smiled kindly "Do not worry, Tsunade-sama. We will find your apprentice."

"Then get to it" Tsunade shooed them out.

Team 8 frowned. Well, Kiba frowned, Hinata was too kind to and Shino's face could not be seen, but all of them nodded and exited the inn.

Tsunade's eyes went back to the paper "This one's nasty. But nothing the medics in Konoha couldn't handle."

Saeko shrugged "Hokage-sama wanted your opinion."

"Yeah, sure"

"Don't you miss research or something? What do you do with your day anyway?" the jounin said and ordered a drink as well.

"I make myself busy" Tsunade said unashamedly.

"Sound fun"

"Yeah, like ninja life. Killed anyone recently?" the blonde baited.

Saeko made a show of thinking "Actually no. It was all non-lethal lately. Besides, we both know that's not your issue."

"Whatever"

The Uchiha resigned herself to another fun weekend. At least the booze was good. _'Someone really needs to give this lady a swift kick in the butt and drag her to Konoha. Preferably someone with an excellent healing factor._'

* * *

><p><strong>Training Field 22<strong>

…

…

…

*couch, cough*

"I WIN! Mwehahahaha!" Saeko broke into a maniacal laughter. Asuma just glared and continued coughing.

"Told you to lay off the cigarettes, Asuma" Shikamaru spoke up from the sidelines.

Kurenai sighed and moved a shougi piece "I try to get him to quit but sadly so far my effort had been in vain."

"Fuuton arm-wrestling would work much better with smoke not hindering you Asuma-sensei" Chouji chimed in and opened yet another bag of chips.

"She smokes too!" Asuma pointed a finger at the smirking Uchiha, "And you know I coat my lungs…"

Kurenai scoffed.

"Don't be a sore loser Asuma-sempai" Saeko taunted.

"Again!" the Sarutobi junior said firmly.

"Can your lungs handle it, old man?" Shikamaru called from his game.

The former Guardian scoffed and redrew the line in the dirt he had been pushed over. "Ready?"

"Born ready" the girl replied, "Shika, start it up!"

"Three… Two… One… Start" was the bored reaction.

Both Asuma and Saeko took a deep breath and exhaled a continuous push of air. Both gusts of wind collided and the battle began.

…

…

…

"Gah!/Cough"

…

"Draw?"

"Draw."

"You still lose two to one" was Kurenai's helpful shout.

The man frowned, not happy at losing face in front the kunoichi he fancied "Again!"

Saeko sighed "I'm thirsty and actually have work to do. Maybe another time. Thanks for the workout."

"Come on, just one more"

"Nah" the girl shook her head, "See ya Kurenai-san, Shika, Asuma-sempai."

"Bye" was the collective reply, even if it was rather sullen on Asuma's part.

Saeko waved and walked out of the clearing, she had already put off doing Hogwarts homework for long enough. Stopping by Naruto's favorite ramen stand for take-out she made her way home.

In her room she unsealed her magic books, parchment and quill, ready to get to work. Until she was plunged into complete darkness. "Nii-san?" she sighed in exasperation.

She was met by silence.

"Seriously, Itachi-nii, the bringer of darkness genjutsu should only be used on the enemy." When her brother still did not answer she dispelled the illusion. Then twice more - she knew Itachi liked layering his genjutsu. "What gives?"

Itachi entered the room completely and sat beside his sister "Training."

"I call bullshit"

"I was bored" the ANBU Captain shrugged.

"Go bug someone else, I've got stuff to do"

"I had a small disagreement with Mihane-chan"

Saeko narrowed her eyes and glared "What did you do?"

"Nothing"

"Go apologize"

"You don't even know what happened"

"It doesn't really matter. Just say the words every woman loves to hear" the girl said sagely.

Itachi's brow furrowed "I love you?"

"That too. I was thinking more like 'I was wrong'" Saeko advised.

"… Hn"

"So, what happened? Did she start redecorating your room? I know how touchy you are about that"

"No"

"Confess your sins" the girl prompted.

"She likes raisins in her oatmeal"

After a beat of silence Saeko glared "Get out, I need to do actual serious stuff."

"Then it kinda spiraled and…"

"Out!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you for all the favorites and follows!<strong>


	75. 5- 75 Old Grudges

***Old Grudges***

Saeko leisurely made her way through the train, looking for her friends. She had arrived rather early but wasn't in the mood for a tea or anything else from the small café on the end of the platform. She was near the end of the train when she spotted a familiar blonde immersed in a book. "Yo!"

"Hey" Helena said looking up from her literature.

"How was Germany?"

"Not bad but that was mostly business. We took a trip to Prague afterwards through, for the Alchemist Expo. That was amazing."

"Was Flamel there?" the brunette asked, thinking it would be a fun coincidence.

"Nope, pity that. Got quite the shopping done in Faust's Quarter at least"

"That's like Diagon Alley of the Czech Republic, right?"

"In muggle geography, yes" Helena nodded, "I love it there. Father too, he loves alchemy and Prague in the capital of it. Nice architecture too - very gothic."

"Sounds nice"

The pureblood nodded "How was Konoha?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. We had a small situation regarding a prison break but it was swiftly handled. I also got to know my brother's fiancée a bit better. I like her"

"That's good" Helena smiled but then sighed, "Little sis has a crush in Beauxbatons and I'm not impressed. I hope it passes."

"What's wrong with him? Or her?" Saeko's eyes sparkled.

"Hold your rainbow, it's a boy. For one he's older and has this 'bad boy' image going on" the blonde gritted her teeth.

"Ah"

"Speaking of, I got another marriage proposal" Helena pursed her lips in disgust, "I feel like a prize horse."

Saeko shrugged "The price you pay for a big business empire. My summer was calm on that front - Itachi-nii's betrothal has the Clan appeased for the moment."

"They'll try to find you a man or a woman? Is gay marriage even legal in Konoha?" the Grey asked.

The ninja shrugged "When I'm Hokage I'll make it legal."

"That works" Helena laughed.

"What does?" a voice came from the door to the compartment.

"Daniel" Saeko said in greeting.

"Well hello, Mr prefect" Helena smiled.

The bespectacled teen grinned widely "Hey girls."

The trio chatted about their summer as they waited for the rest of their little group.

Ashley and Peter were the last to arrive as usual. When the duo entered, everybody's eyes were drawn to Ash.

Caitlin was the first to react "Cool hair."

"It's pink" Helena said flatly.

"I like it" Paddy complimented.

"Thanks" Ash grinned and flicked her new pale pink locks.

"At least it's not bright bubblegum pink" the Grey heiress acquiesced.

"I think it's nice" Saeko shared her opinion.

Graham nodded "It clashes a bit with that new shiny badge of yours."

"Nah, you're just jealous of my new bathroom" Ash winked.

"Of course I am" Graham admitted freely. His reply was almost drowned in a sudden shrill whistle that signalized their departure was imminent.

"How does it work? Do we just go to the front of the train and find the other prefects?" Ashley asked.

Daniel nodded "Yeah. Front carriage, first compartment."

"We came so late because Ash wanted to change into her robes. What a drag" Peter shared. The new pinkette swatted his arm.

Helena whipped out her little black book "Go already, I need to know who the other prefects are."

"Someone actually bet on that?" Ash arched her eyebrows.

"Sure" the blonde shrugged.

The pinkette rolled her eyes "Come on Daniel, now I kinda want to know too."

Daniel obliged and the two newly appointed prefects left.

"So, let's see who guessed Daniel and Ashley" Helena hummed.

X

"Ted Hewlett and Heidi Bright for Hufflepuff, Roland deLuise and Irene Bass for Gryffindor, Lachlan Kerr and Aurora Gallaher for the Snakes. And of course, us" Daniel reported as soon as he and Ashley stepped into the compartment.

"So nobody surprising" Caitlin summed it up.

"Aurora and Kerr are going to be insufferable - they seem to think they just got crowned king and queen of Hogwarts" Ashley rolled her eyes.

"We'll just sic Saeko at them" Paddy smirked.

Graham grinned "Yeah, she can glare them to death."

The Uchiha smirked proudly "Just point me at them. Besides I have to practice, Bright is a perfect too."

"What did she ever do to you?" Daniel asked.

"She's annoying" the ninja shrugged.

"That bitch" Daniel deadpanned.

Helena smirked "At least deLuise is going to be fun, he and Daniel can bond over their new stations."

"He's not into me, stop saying that!" the bespectacled teen turned a deep shade of red.

"Daniel and Roland sitting in a tree…" Ashley and Peter started singing but fell silent when the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard.

"Good afternoon," Lachlan Kerr said after entering without invitation, "just checking that everything's alright - like a good prefect should."

Ash refused to be baited "You make a good point, we'll do a round in a little while."

"Glad someone's reasonable, professor Flitwick chose well. For a second there I was concerned that Uchiha got the badge. Then again, she is always so difficult" Aurora said disdainfully.

Saeko smirked "Really? I heard I was rather easy." The Ravens chuckled.

"At least you are aware of that. How unseemly" Aurora sniffed.

"Oh," the nin made a crestfallen face, "does that mean we will not be making sweet, sweet love in the prefect's hot tub?"

"Ugh" the female Slytherin said in disgust.

Lachlan had a rather dreamy expression which was immediately stomped out by his fellow Slytherin's glare. The same thing happened with Graham and Helena. Paddy was out of the blonde's range so he permitted himself a lecherous chuckle.

Aurora huffed and took off, Kerr hurrying behind her.

Saeko pouted "Something I said?"

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

"Well, that explains the books" Peter said as he took a look at the professor's table.

"Gilderoy Lockhart" Caitlin said, venom in her voice.

"Not impressed?" Paddy asked, looking at the teacher in question.

"He might have a handsome smile and gorgeous hair but I read the books. What a pile of dragon dung" the Irish girl sneered.

"There seems to be a number of discrepancies" Saeko agreed.

Ash hummed thoughtfully "The books might be horrible but his feats are impressive."

"He claims to have turned back a werewolf" Caitlin deadpanned

"There are legends about several ancient artifacts that could do precisely that. Maybe he found one" the pinkette shrugged.

"He wrote he used a spell" the red-head countered.

"I wouldn't advertise I'm in possession of such artifact either" Ash replied, steadfast in her theory.

Caitlin let it go "Whatever."

"We'll see how he teaches" Daniel said firmly, seeking to end the discussion for sure.

"I don't like him" Graham announced, "Such a pretty-boy."

The discussion continued but Saeko was not really interested - she was busy scanning the crowd. It looked like everybody, save the firsties, was in the Hall but with one big exception - Potter was MIA.

She had already summoned Skygge prior to entering the Castle so she would've got an alert if her mark was in danger. But still.

Her worry grew as professor McGonagall led the first-years to be sorted. Name after name was called and the Boy-Who-Lived was still absent.

Finally just after Dumbledore gave his speech, Potter and his red-headed side-kick slithered into the Great Hall. Saeko sighed in relief, even if the ninja was only liable for Potter at Hogwarts. If the boy got in trouble before she would've been fine. Still, she was curious about what happened.

When everybody was stuffed, dessert included, the Headmaster rose up again and bid everybody goodnight.

Daniel and Ashley jumped up from their seats and went to herd the first year Ravens. Saeko took the opportunity to lose herself in the crowd - she wanted to go somewhere she could hear her summon's report.

When Saeko reached a secluded balcony Skygge's shadow clone landed on her shoulder. "So?"

"Potter missed the train, took Weasley's car, crash-landed and encountered Filch and Snape" Skygge reported succinctly.

"Why? How? What do you mean crash-landed?"

"The car flew" was the dry reply.

"Fantastic" Saeko pinched the bridge of her nose, "So he's alright?"

"Seems so. I'll report further as the story develops" the raven smirked.

"You do that"

The chakra construct dissipated and Saeko shook her head - Potter always had to be in the centre of something.

Saeko made her way to the Ravenclaw common room. She answered the guardian's question and entered, only to see a big crowd that surrounded two fighting 11-year old girls, complete with scratching and pulling of hair.

"The fuck?" the kunoichi asked just as Ashley and Daniel each grabbed a firstie and tried to pry them apart.

"One's a MacDonald and the other's a Campbell" one of the younger years replied.

"And that matters because…?"

"Massacre of Glen Coe. The muggle clan Campbell sought refuge under the MacDonald roof, quite a sacred thing I'm told, and broke their trust by massacrating them all. The descendants of the survivors now hate everyone of that name, related to that Clan or not. I wouldn't know it but mother's from the Highlands."

"Ah"

"Yeah, the Scottish sure like their grudges" the boy shrugged.

"What's going on!" a strong voice demanded from the entrance.

"Professor Flitwick!" everybody snapped up. Even the two girls stopped squirming in the prefect's holds.

The problem was quickly explained and the Charm's master frowned "You are both Ravenclaws now. I will not stand for infighting! Leave your past in the past and help shape the future."

Both girls seemed a bit ashamed and nodded.

Flitwick smiled tightly "You may not get along but you will be civilized. Yes?"

"Yes"

"Excellent! Now…" the professor continued with his usual speech.

As Saeko climbed the stair to her room she had to admit she was impressed how her Head of House handled the situation. The rest of the Ravens seemed to agree, especially Ashley and Daniel who still stood warily besides the two warring parties.

Much later, when Ash returned to their room, Saeko grinned at her friend's exhausted face "Hell of a first day as peacekeeper, huh?"

"Oh, shut up" was the very irritated reply.

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Day<strong>

"Wakey, wakey" Saeko shouted at her roommate.

Ashley turned on her other side and made a distressed sound. The Uchiha shook her head "I let you sleep longer than usual, come on, wake up."

The pinkette buried her face deeper in her pillow "I can't get out of bed. These blankets have accepted me as one of their own and if I leave now I might lose their trust."

"Oookey" Saeko said and swiftly stole her friend's blanket, "Hope today will not be as exciting as last night. It was fun though."

Ash opened an eye and glared.

"The prefects bathroom will cheer you right up, make sure to take a relaxing bath tonight" Saeko continued merrily.

The glare lessened.

"You will need it, this week you escort the first-years around"

Glaring intensifies.

"Well, I'm going to breakfast. I will make sure they don't run out of coffee"

Ashley opened both her eyes "Wait." Saeko smirked.

Twenty minutes later the pinkette wrapped her hands around a steamy mug of coffee like it held the secret to life itself. Helena rolled her eyes. Peter chuckled "Oh, come on, Helena. Look at how happy she is."

"Hmmm" Ash just smacked her lips in delight.

The blonde heiress rolled her eyes one more time. This time it was Graham who chuckled "Maybe we should get Helena coffee as well, she's been in quite a mood this evening."

"Psh" Helena scoffed and took a sip of her tea.

"Well, Helena did have some not so nice things to say about poor Jane Marlowe" Daniel joined on in the ribbing.

"Oh, please, look at her. Did she have her vacation in a fridge?" the pureblood huffed.

The Ravens dissolved into laughter. Finally Saeko calmed enough to say "She _is_ a bit easier to see than last year."

Their laughing was interrupted by several paper planes that were the new time tables. Seeing their full days doused the student's merriment quite abruptly.

Paddy glared at the piece of parchment "I bet the OWLs and working hard will be mentioned first thing."

"Sucker bet, we have McGonagall first" Caitlin sighed.

"Well, there is no reason to put this off" Daniel stood up.

"Our first class or you babysitting the first-years?" Saeko asked angelically.

"Go to hell"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, children are mean. It happens.<strong>


	76. 5- 76 Difference in Class

***Difference in Class***

_'__What is Gilderoy Lockhart__'s favorite color?'_

_'What is __Gilderoy Lockhart__'s secret ambition?'_

_'What, in your opinion, is __Gilderoy Lockhart__'s greatest achievement to date?'_

_'When is __Gilderoy Lockhart__'s birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?'_

When the fifth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had entered Lockhart's classroom most of them were curious about their new professor. Some of the Puff girls were quite dreamy eyed while the boys were rather surly. Michelle and her posse were quite excited as well but they, as well as the rest of the Ravens, were wary. Prior to their first DADA class Ashley and Caitlin made good points about the handsome teacher and the House of the Witted officially withheld judgment.

Until now.

Now, after reading his 'quiz', the opinions were steered towards mildly disgusted. Poor Michelle looked like someone just broke her heart.

"Why isn't everyone writing?" Lockhart asked in genuine puzzlement, "It will not be graded, do not worry."

Graham looked like he was about to throw up. Suddenly though he smirked and started writing frantically.

Paddy leaned in to look at the answers over his friend's shoulder and chuckled. At this everybody could guess the nature of Graham's answers and kinda hoped Lockhart will be reading them out loud later.

It didn't take long and the scraping of quills on parchment stopped. The works were quickly collected and the 'winner of the most handsome smile' looked them over.

The little Ravenclaw poker group held their breath. Lockhart did not disappoint.

"Tut, tut, barely any of you remembered my favorite color is lilac - I say so clearly in _Year with a Yeti_" the professor reproached. After he leafed some more he looked crestfallen "And surely it's not baby-shit brown."

Graham smirked proudly while most of the class tried not to chuckle.

"Miss Farrow correctly remembered the greatest gift I would want is harmony between all peoples" Lockhart beamed while Michelle, the unfortunate author, covered her eyes and slumped into her seat.

"And of course my greatest ambition is ridding rid world of evil" the man smiled brilliantly.

Paddy fake-coughed _"Pretentious"_

Lockhart ignored him as he was looking again at the papers "I really don't know how anyone could think it was gender-changing surgery."

"Or…" the teacher began and then turned beet read.

Graham and Paddy high-fived quietly.

Lockhart couched uncomfortably "Well, I will need time to go thought this. Class dismissed for today.

The students gratefully collected their things and left the classroom. Among the Ravens Peter summed up their feelings perfectly "I was never so glad for OWLs - we won't be graded by this fool for our final marks."

"Merlin, what an idiot" Caitlin shook her head in exasperation.

"I miss Deirdre" Saeko said sadly.

"Hot _and_ capable" Graham sighed.

The Ravens nodded sagely.

"And those leathers she wore…" Paddy shared dreamily.

"Pig" Ash rolled her eyes.

"She was rather sexy" Helena said nonchalantly. Everybody looked at her, eyebrows arched. The blonde just shrugged "What? While I would not shag her it doesn't mean I can't find her objectively beautiful."

Caitlin hummed "True."

"Not you too" the pinkette of the party sighed.

Saeko grinned "That's right girls, come to the rainbow side."

Ashley rolled her eyes "Do you think we should go to Flitwick about this idiot?"

"I think there will be a line" Peter said.

"Was Dumbledore really that desperate to appoint Lockhart as one of his teachers?" Daniel asked.

Paddy shrugged "On paper he looks legit."

"His books portray him far from legit" Caitlin grumbled.

"He might be a tosser but I look forward to his interaction with the others. I imagine there will be much fun to be had in the professor's lounge" Graham said with a malicious smile.

Helena rubbed her hands in anticipation "I can make a betting pool on which professor will take him out. And the method."

"Snape, two weeks, poison! Five galleons" Paddy shot out immediately.

"Too obvious, Dumbledore will keep an eye on him. I bet McGonagall snaps, turn him into a mouse and eat him" Graham said with a glint in his eye.

"Disgusting" Ashley pursed her lips, "It will be Sprout. It's always the quiet ones. I give her three months before she arranges a _Venomous Tentacula_ to be delivered to Lockhart's bedside table."

"Oh, I like it" Helena uncharacteristically grinned and whipped out her little black book.

* * *

><p><strong>Quidditch Pitch<strong>

"Gather roud, kids!" Saeko announced.

Jared seemed amused but obliged as did Roger, Caitlin and Cho. The ninja spread her arms as in an embrace and said "This is the new Eagles."

"Wait, I thought we were going to try-out anyway" Roger Davies said with a frown. He was the one who changed the most over the summer holidays - the boy looked like he did nothing else but exercise. Now that he buffed up considerably he seemed to gain quite a bit of confidence.

"I changed my mind," Saeko shrugged, "it would be too much hassle. Though I hope the threat made you train hard during the holidays."

The Team's no-longer-juniors nodded.

"Subarashii!" the ninja smirked, "So now all we need is a new keeper and a chaser."

"No reserves this time?" Caitlin asked.

"We'll see if we can find a future replacement for Jared" the Uchiha nodded.

"Oh" Jared said with a theatrically grief-stricken face "You're going to leave me just like that? Like all our years together didn't matter?"

"C'est la vie"

Jared started fake-sobbing on Rodger's shoulder. The younger Raven patted his hair and said "There, there." Cho giggled.

Saeko grinned "Now, I want to see where we stand before we do the try-outs. Before we start I just want to ask if anybody replaced their broom. Nimbus 2001 is out and the previous versions got a bit cheaper."

The Eagles shook their heads.

"Pity. Well, ability beats broom every time anyway" Saeko nodded, "Something you should keep well in mind since the entire Slytherin quidditch team has the 2001s."

"WHAT!"

"Yup" the Uchiha prodigy confirmed solemnly.

"That's not fair!" "You sure?" "How do you know?" the team exploded into questions.

Saeko held up her hand to silence her teammates "Little Malfoy really wanted onto the team so daddy Malfoy bought seven pricy brooms."

"What a prick" Caitlin sneered.

"Which position did he get?" Jared asked.

"He's an attention seeking brat who's obsessed with Potter. What do you think?"

"Seeker" the rest chorused with a nod.

"Indeed" Saeko smirked and turned to Cho, "I have full confidence you can beat a bought-in seeker."

"Sure thing" the petite Asian girl said despite being a bit uncertain.

Jared put a hand on her shoulder "We will soften him up a bit. I'm quite looking forward to that." Everybody grinned.

"Is he any good?" Roger asked.

"I don't know" the captain shrugged, "We'll see."

"Your spies didn't catch that?" Jared smirked.

"Nope" Saeko smirked back, "Ok, let's test you lot. If you can't keep up because you got sloppy during the holidays you will feel my wrath."

"You're horrible" Caitlin shook her head.

The Uchiha smiled angelically "I happen to know that Oliver Wood has reserved the pitch for his team to train for tomorrow at five o'clock. How about that?"

"Is he mad? That's before the crack of dawn!" Roger exclaimed.

"I bet you love me now" Saeko smirked.

"We love you taichō!" the team chorused.

"And don't you forget it"

* * *

><p><strong>Runes Classroom<strong>

"Welcome to OWL level Runes" professor Babbling began, "This year will be a little bit different than the previous ones in several ways."

"The first difference is obvious - at the end of the year there will be no regular exams but the OWL examinations instead. This will be reflected in the curriculum. We will be studying new things but the second semester will be dedicated almost solely to revision."

"That said for NEWT level Runes I will only be accepting students who got Exceeded Expectations or better. Just to check, who among you is intending to continue the subject?"

Everybody's hands went up, even if some people did so only out of politeness. Even Isolde looked exasperated but determined.

"Excellent" the teacher smiled, "I will expect the very best from you."

"Now, to the second big difference. I will be assigning a big project due just before Christmas"

Groans all around.

"Yes, yes indeed" Babbling smiled, "For this project I would like you to work in pairs and before you start looking around I will be determining those pairs."

Groans were heard again, only Lauren seemed mildly pleased since the probability of working with the slacking Isolde was lowered considerably.

Peter's hand rose "How will you be deciding those pairs?"

"Compatibility and ability" the woman explained, "I tried to pair you so you should get along fine and that nobody should ride the other's tail"

The class nodded unsurely.

Babbling retrieved a roll of parchment from her desk and started reading the pairs.

Peter sighed inconspicuously when he got partnered with Aaron Sadiq, the loner of Ravenclaw House. Isolde got Joanne Harwich, Ashley Weir got the boisterous Gryffindor Neal O´Rourke. Damian Mallory, a Slytherin, pompously nodded when he was read together with Helena. The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Saeko Uchiha with Lauren Lewis"

"_Nice_" the ninja thought and turned to smile at the red-head who only nodded approvingly. Saeko did figure she would most likely end up with her Slytherin friend - both were at the top of the class, joined only by Helena and Aaron. Since most professors seemed to like inter-house cooperation Lauren was an obvious choice.

The rest of the pairs were read, among them Daniel who got partnered with Mark Paxton, another Gryffindor, coincidentally Ashley's partner's best friend.

"Any issues?" the teacher concluded, "And I mean _serious_ issues."

Some people were clearly unhappy with their partners but nobody spoke up.

Babbling clapped her hands together and beamed "Excellent! Now, what's this project about." After a dramatic pause she announced "Runic wards."

The class murmured in excitement.

"I know, I know. Cool, isn't it?" Babbling grinned, "Runic application is NEWT level so take it as practice. Also you are free to do whatever, use any language or any theory - just write up why do you think it should work."

"Your goal is to protect an imaginary room. Quite like the funeral chambers in Egypt. Use as many layers of protection as you want."

"Also I should stress that this assignment is purely theoretical. Do not, and I repeat do NOT engrave any runes anywhere. If you don't get blown up you'll get expelled. Is that clear?"

"Yes professor" the class chorused.

"Great. Feel free to divide your work as you see fit but let me mention that layers made by different authors without communication can result in the aforementioned explosion.

Babbling waited for everybody to acknowledge the point and then continued "You can also come to me with questions but don't expect me to do your work for you."

"Now, you've got an hour to discuss things with your partner. Draw up a plan. Regular lessons resume next week."

After a big shuffling of chairs the students sat in the prescribed pairs. Saeko turned to Lauren and smiled.

The red-head nodded "You'll do."


	77. 5- 77 Step Up

**AN: Thank you for all your follows and favorites lately, it****'s been a treat. I love you guys. Also, if you could drop me a review that would be fantastic. Just a small one. Pretty please.**

**AN2: This one is a short one, I know. But… I just finished it. Tonight I started rewatching the L world (I know. But despite being old it****'s good and queer. Just my mood tonight) and I had a bit of drink, gotta love vacation time.**

* * *

><p><strong>*Step Up*<strong>

"Graham, are you alright, man?" Peter asked worriedly.

"What do you think?" the boy in question shot back sullenly.

Ashley rolled her eyes at her childhood friend in reproach and then turned back to Graham "We can get you ice cream for dinner."

Graham bared his teeth "I'm not a chick! I can handle break-ups without any props!"

"You're turning down ice cream? The house elves make a mean one" Daniel tempted.

"I didn't say that…"

Caitlin laughed and clapped her friend's shoulder "Myra was nothing special, we'll find you a better lass. One that's not idiot enough to dump you."

"So we officially hate Myra now?" the Uchiha asked cheerily.

"Isn't that what we did from the start?" Helena muttered and got elbowed by Daniel.

Graham glared, torn between sadness and anger "I think I should find better friends."

"Oh, come on. I broke up with Leroy too. Does it make you feel better?" Caitlin shared.

Ashley flashed to the red-head's side "You did?"

"Aye"

"Why didn't you say anything before?" the pinkette asked.

Caitlin shrugged. Graham sighed "At least you did the dumping."

"It does help" the girl hummed, "It also helps I got asked out by Noel Woofbridge."

Paddy blinked "That's fast."

"Well, you are rather hot" Saeko looked her friend over.

"And I'm not?" Graham pouted, well enough to joke.

The ninja smirked "You're not really my type, sugar."

"That hurts"

Helena rolled her eyes "Who's Woofbridge, the name actually sound familiar."

"Sixth year" Caitlin shrugged.

"Raven" Ashley nodded in recognition, "Smart fellow, silly mustache."

"I said yes" the Irish girl clarified.

"Get him to shave" Helena rolled her eyes yet again.

Paddy smirked "I think it suits him, with a pansy name like Noel."

"I've concluded your break up with Leroy in fact does not make me feel any better" Graham grumbled.

"Ice cream it is!" Ashley clapped her hands together.

The boy sighed "Let's just go to Potions."

"You think Snape will cheer you up?" Peter chuckled.

"You could play hooky if you wanted. We'll cover you" Saeko shrugged.

Graham shook his head "Nah, thanks though. I'm not a delicate flower."

"Oke dokey"

X

**Potions Classroom**

"I've changed my mind, let's blow this joint" Graham muttered as professor Snape terrorized two Hufflepuffs nearly to tears.

"Too late" Paddy whispered back.

"I said fresh mint! Fresh! How much of a dunderhead can you be miss Siler? That's ten points off Hufflepuff" the potions master exclaimed in irritation as he observed the work of the next pair.

"Shush!" Helena glared at the boys, "We've already lost 20 points and about to lose more."

"Have faith"

"Yeah, right. Just shut up" the blonde urged.

"When did you bother last to check the fire's temperature, miss Gilmore?" Snape barked at the Ravenclaw.

"Told ya" Helena muttered.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw. Anything to add, miss Grey?" the sneering professor turned to the blonde heiress.

Helena shook her head "No sir. I merely asked miss Uchiha to look over my calculations of the dosage of bat blood."

Snape took two big strides and peered into the duo's cauldron. He sneered "Passable. If you focus it might even not blow up in your faces."

Taking it for the compliment it was, Saeko and Helena just nodded and went back to work.

When a foul smell suddenly permeated the classroom Snape closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his hooked nose "I'm looking forward to not seeing the majority of you next year. As I have already informed all my students, I only accept those who achieve Outstanding in their OWLs. With the rate you are progressing I anticipate only a handful of you bothering me next year."

The horrid smell lingered. Snape snapped his eyes open, growled, and vanished the poor Puffs' concoction "You two get out. Twenty points from Hufflepuff."

Graham leaned over his cauldron to whisper to Helena "Ironic that we are brewing the Calming Draught, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Helena<strong>**'****s Room**

"You are getting _really _good" Saeko commented as she looked over Helena's shoulder at her painting.

"Thanks" the blonde nodded, still concentrating on her art.

"You sure it's not the beer talking?" Ashley said loudly from her seat on Michelle's bed.

Helena shot the pinkette a dirty look. Saeko chuckled "I'm on my second. Far from having my artistic sense impaired."

"It's only miss Weir then" Helena said with a smirk as she applied red paint with a thin brush.

"Bollocks"

Amused by the byplay Saeko shook her head again and went to sit on Helena's bed. The owner turned and pointed her brush at Saeko "Ah ah ah. Sit on Michelle's bed."

"Why?" the Uchiha arched an eyebrow.

"Really? Your hair is dripping wet and I like my covers warm and dry" Helena rolled her eyes.

Saeko run her hand through said hair "Hello, fifth-year Hogwarts student? I can dry your cozy bed afterwards."

Helena pointed at her roomie's side of the room, the one brimming with posters, and ordered "Sit."

"You know, today I had dozens of people bending to my will, ready to act on my every whim, all gazing adoringly at me" the raven summoner grumbled but complied.

"I'm not a perspective quidditch player, hoping to make the Team" Helena shot back.

"How that went anyway?" Ashley asked, "The try-outs took forever."

"We had a small practice afterwards" Saeko explained, "And it went well enough. I got the chaser and keeper I needed. No junior beater though."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So who is it?" the pinkette pressed.

Saeko laid down on the bed and put her feet onto Ashley's lap "Yet another James for keeper - James Carter, fourth year. Not as good as McPherson was but trainable. We'll get him up to snuff."

"Oh yeah, I know him. He's really small, isn't he?" Ash hummed.

The sharingan user smirked "That's him. He's really sensitive about it though. He'll do well."

"I know him too" Helena surprisingly said.

"For real?" the half-blood arched an eyebrow.

"Yes. He does nearly as much exercising as Saeko. Overcompensation at its finest" the blonde smirked.

Ashley laughed "Too true. And the chaser?"

"Jaden Byrd, third year. I like him, he seems funny. Not as funny as Rory and co though but he might be an even better chaser than them. Individually, that is. I'll need to work on his teamwork"

The pinkette hummed "How come he wasn't in your juniors if he's so good?"

"He was sick when I held the trials last year" Saeko frowned, "I would've liked to have had the chance to mold him into the team."

"How do you rate our chances?" Helena spoke up from her painting.

"We are going to win again, of course. I'm offended" the brunette pouted.

"Good odds then?"

Ashley rolled her eyes and then patted Saeko's legs "That's great, I love winning both the House and Quidditch Cups."

"The only blemish on our House being the current second years" Helena reminded.

"Oh yeah" Ash frowned, "Hermione Granger stealing the number 1 status."

The blonde nodded "The second years better get a move on, this hasn't happened in years."

"Let's just hope the first years set it right again" Saeko said in a placating manner.

Helena arched an eyebrow "You mean the two Scottish girls who beat each other up the first day? Or perhaps you mean Loony Lovegood?"

"That's mean" the pinkette reproached.

"Luna is a kunai short of a full set but academically she does very well" Saeko shrugged, "Besides, I kanda like her."

"Then you are strange too" the Grey rolled her eyes.

"She's funny you have to admit that. Also I think she would fit among the jounin back home just fine" the ninja grinned.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Most jounin are a bit nuts. It just manifests differently"

"What is your rank again?" Helena raised an eyebrow.

"Jounin" Saeko grinned even more widely.

"Ah," the blonde nodded, "that explains quite a bit."

The raven summoner laughed "It does, doesn't it?"

* * *

><p><strong>Unused Classroom on 4<strong>**th**** Floor**

After finishing the outlining of a possible first layer of protection for their 'little closet' Lauren sighed as she dropped her quill "I'm really glad you're my partner."

"Me too" Saeko smiled. Then she asked a question that has been burning in her mind for a while "Why though? I mean I know I'm smart and all around amazing but you don't seem to get along with the majority of people."

The Slytherin considered how to reply, or more like how much to censor "I guess you were right last year, I _am_ guarded. Also most people bore me or are outright dumb. Or have dumb preoccupations - like what dress to wear at the Ministry's ball this Yule."

Saeko nodded and finished Lauren's thought in her mind "_While you have bigger worries, like your dear fam_." Out loud she said "I've heard plenty of talk about politics among the Slytherins - that's not trivial."

"We tend to have different views" the Brit shrugged.

"Because you don't really care about people" the ninja smirked.

"Right" Lauren's lips twitched from a suppressed smile.

"So what topic of conversation would you fancy?"

"Philosophy, psychology, sociology, history and so on. But without being pretentious about it. I don't care about sounding educated or wise. I just like the challenge of a debate" the red-head shrugged.

"I enjoy debate too" Saeko hummed, finally figuring out her friendship with the mysterious Slytherin.

"That's why I tolerate you"

"Just tolerate?" the Raven pouted.

"If you want an upgrade you'll have to work for it" Lauren smirked

"Challenge accepted"

The red-head shrugged "Let's plan the second layer so we've got a foundation for our next study session."

Saeko ignored the suggestion "Hey, why you want to be a healer? I know we talked about it before but you always gave a half-assed answer. You know a healer has to deal with people, right?"

"I like the challenge it poses"

"Half-assed"

Lauren gave her a look that clearly meant 'deal with it'. "So the second layer. I was thinking fire - you seem to have a knack for it."

"I do love fire" Saeko grinned and resigned herself to talking shop.

"Pyromaniac"

"So I'm told"

* * *

><p><strong>AN3: I updated the OC list if you get confused who<strong>**'s who**


	78. 5- 78 Battle Strategy

**AN: A bit of a silly chapter, but I wanted them to have some fun before canon comes back swinging**

* * *

><p><strong>*Battle Strategy*<strong>

**North Part of Hogwarts Castle, currently vacant**

"Pyro to Skydiver, copy. Over" Saeko said into her radio.

"Skydiver in position" came the reply amidst the static.

"Hold position. Over"

"Those walkies talkies are awesome. How did you make them Saeko?" Graham whispered as he crouched beside the ninja

"I didn't. I borrowed them from home"

"Oh, right. Soldier family"

Cho Chang shot the speaking boy a pointed glare "Pssht"

"Sorry"

"Pssht" the whole team reminded him in chorus.

Saeko peeked from around the wall "Target acquired. Skydiver, diversion!"

Caitlin's part of the team, designation Skydiver, let out a battle cry and vaulted over their cover. With their shields up the group attacked their enemies.

The group of sixth years returned fire.

As they were focused at Skydiver Saeko looked at the shimmer that was her group and tapped the wall gently. The taps came back. _Three, two, one…_

"DEPINGO!" team Pyro shouted in unison as they disillusioned behind their enemies' backs.

The sixth years were caught unaware, their shield covering only their fronts and the barrage of paint got them unimpeded. The shocked, now bright purple, Ravens cursed.

The ghost of the Fat Friar, who served as referee for the occasion, smiled widely "The battle has ended! The Admirals are the victors!"

Saeko, Caitlin and the rest of the 'Admirals' let out a loud cheer. The sixth years shook their heads in disappointment and sheathed their wands.

Paddy grinned "Remind me to give Keller a hug! Not even a Head Boy badge could damp his coolness!"

"And to Flitwick for agreeing" Caitlin reminded.

"I would dare anyone say anything about nerdy and uncool Ravens now" Roger exclaimed.

Saeko hummed "To be fair most of our housemates are still in the Tower. Reading, I would wager."

"I really don't get why," Graham shook his head, "this was awesome! I would take paintball over studying any day of the week."

"Come on, let's go" Saeko gathered her team, "Our prize is waiting in the Common Room."

"And adulation!" Graham grinned.

Caitlin rolled her eyes "I think the most we could get from our less active housemates is applause. And that's pushing it."

"We get a party when we win at quidditch"

"That gets points. And it's popular" the Irish girl shot him down again.

As the little group argued on the way home Saeko got reminded of her first 'tora' mission with her genin team. She and the older teammates argued as they chased the elusive cat. Well, Saeko did not argue, she just glared at everybody Uchiha style. The chase had been endless and horribly frustrating, quite the opposite of today's paintball victory. That said, the Brits were not really a challenge, untrained as they were.

"Pity we could not use the portraits as spies" Daniel remarked and pulled Saeko from her reverie. The ninja was very impressed with her friend's thinking.

Cho shrugged "Flitwick used them to observe the battle. Besides, that would not be fair."

"If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactic sucks" Saeko quoted one of her earliest ninja lessons.

"Cheery as always" Daniel chuckled.

The Uchiha smirked and then turned to her quidditch teammates "Cho, Roger, thank you for filling up the empty spots in my team."

"I think we did more than that" Roger arched an eyebrow.

"That you did" Saeko chuckled, "Excellent job."

"Thanks" the Ravenclaw seeker blushed.

Daniel nodded "Who knew that getting seven able bodies would be so hard."

"Nerdy Ravens" Graham said in explanation.

"True"

Team 'Admirals' swiftly made their way to the Tower and through the guardian. On the other side they saw a widely grinning Head Boy "The portraits said you were amazing! Who knew the late Ser Angus was such a talented commentator!"

Professor Flitwick chuckled "It was an interesting change of pace. Though I think I will get scolded in the next teacher's meeting."

"Sounds lewd" Graham whispered and got a swift kick for his troubles, courtesy of Saeko.

"So, contestants, gather up!" the Charms master called.

The fighters, all of them still more or less covered in paint went to stand before Flitwick who surveyed them rather proudly "Life in this school is filled with learning and many other wonderful things. Oftentimes it can become a bit monotonous. Such events like this one can break the routine and are a healthy distraction. Especially if they involve some exercise this House often lacks."

There were some chuckles from the still sitting Ravenclaws.

"I think it would be wonderful if our House made events similar to this one an annual matter" Flitwick finished and turned toward the head Boy with a nod.

Keller took over enthusiastically "Alright! So this year's 'exciting thing' event winners is the team that calls itself the Admirals! A big applause for Cho Chang, Roger Davies, Daniel Fairbanks, Patrick Walsh, Caitlin O'Shea, Graham Gifford, all under the command of Saeko Uchiha!"

Among the mild applause Graham bowed theatrically. The rest of the paintball team either chuckled or shook their heads, but all of them followed suit.

Flitwick actually squealed and made a little hop.

"I love this" Paddy murmured.

"Who doesn't"

"I look forward to next year"

"If nothing interferes with the event"

"Like what?"

* * *

><p><strong>Castle Grounds<strong>

Saeko was returning from her run, an actual run this time, jogging lightly to calm down. She was near the Hogwarts greenhouses when she noticed Potter and Lockhart talking. The boy seemed torn between being angry, disgusted and humiliated, no doubt on the receiving end of yet another 'celebrity lesson'.

Potter noticed her first and showed quite a presence of mind when he called onto her "Uchiha! Thank God!" Then he turned to the DADA teacher "I beg your pardon professor, but my quidditch captain asked me to relay a very important message."

Lockhart a bit put out but still gave a brilliant smile "Of course my boy. And miss Uchiha. I too wanted to speak to you. I hear your name quite often from the faculty."

Potter's eyes glinted "On the other hand the message can wait. I leave you to it professor. Bye!"

As The-boy-Who-Lived retreated as fast as he could without appearing to run Lockhart's attention focused on the Uchiha. _"I'll strangle the brat"_

"Miss Uchiha, may I call you Saeko? I…"

"No" the brunette said frostily, "That would be very improper. I am lady and you are my teacher and several years older than me. It could be misconstrued."

The professor deflated as he caught the girl's meaning and the possible blow to his reputation "Of course! I apologize most profoundly. I merely wanted to offer myself as a mentor. I have heard you are the number one student in your year since you stepped into this school. But I have noticed you don't have such a firm grasp on my class. Defense Against…"

Saeko did not interrupt this time, just exposed him to the might of the Uchiha Glare and a tiny amount of killing intent. Lockhart's voice waned on its own.

When the Brit fell silent Saeko smiled tightly "I apologize but I'm in the middle of my training regime. I really need to go back to it."

Lockhart just nodded, a little pale.

Saeko smirked in satisfaction and ran to the Castle. She caught up with Potter on the stairs "That was downright vile."

The second-year got startled "I'm really sorry, but I needed to get away."

"That I understand"

"How did you get him to release you so quickly?" Harry asked, eager for tips.

The kunoichi grinned "I'm scary when I want to be."

Potter arched an eyebrow skeptically "Yeah?"

"Oh, yes" the girl said with much satisfaction in her voice.

"What did he want with you?" Potter asked.

Saeko shrugged "Same as you I suppose, advice on fame. Arrogant little fucker." The second-year was taken aback by the language but seemed to wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. Saeko tapped her chin in thought "If he wasn't so irritating, his jealousy would be rather funny to watch."

"Jealousy?"

"You bet!" the brunette grinned, "You got him beat, Boy-Who-Lived. By miles!"

Harry frowned.

"You don't like the title? I don't blame you, you Brits have absolutely no taste in monickers" Saeko snickered.

"I don't even remember **it** and my parents died in the process" Harry spat bitterly.

"Ah" Saeko shrugged, "Well, you can't do anything about that now."

"Thanks" Harry replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm, not at all like the shy little second-year, there was some spine there.

"What did you expect?" the Uchiha shrugged, "Besides, _I_ am actually trying to get famous. Back home I'm running for office."

The boy blinked in astonishment "Really?"

"Yup"

After a beat of silence where only their steps could be heard Saeko spoke again "So, how's Wood? I heard he went bonkers about training."

Harry sighed "Pretty much. I hardly have the time to do anything else. He's really pumped up. Did you hear about Malfoy's brooms?"

"Sure, but I think we'll beat them bloody anyway" Saeko grinned gleefully.

"I'm starting to get the scary part" Potter blinked.

"Just now? I'm pretty ruthless on the quidditch pitch" _and beyond_ "I also know the Weasley twins don't have a high opinion on me."

Harry blushed, no doubt remembering some of Fred and George's words of choice "They respect you actually."

Saeko smirked "Good."

"Harry!" Where have you been?" Hermione exclaimed when the two quidditch players arrived on the third floor.

"Lockhart caught me" Potter explained. Ron made a disgusted face while Granger went all dreamy-eyed.

"Well, I leave you to it. Bye, Potter. Weasley, Granger" Saeko nodded in goodbye.

"Uchiha" Ron said tersely to their quidditch rival, while Hermione just waved.

Saeko smirked and took off, her mood much better than after her run-in with the moronic teacher. She started to whistle off-key and made her way to the Tower.

* * *

><p><strong>Ravenclaw Common Room<strong>

"Hey Caitlin, I need…" Patrick started when he saw this friend walking through the entrance.

The red-head glared and said through gritted teeth "Not right now. I'm battered, bruised, exhausted and weepy. Now is not a good time." With this Caitlin left.

"Ok" Paddy said unsurely and looked at the other students streaming thought the entrance. It was the quidditch team. All of them were in more or less the same state as the girl "Ah."

"Hi Paddy!" Saeko said cheerily.

"What did you do to them?" the Brit asked.

The ninja shrugged "Just a bit of training. Tomorrow is October already, quidditch season starts soon."

Paddy arched an eyebrow "So you endeavor to break your Team before you even start?"

"A bit of breaking never hurt anybody" Saeko shrugged again and sat down.

"Yeeeah, I don't think you understand the term correctly"

"They'll sleep it off"

"I wanted Caitlin to help me and Eddy with a Care of Magical Creatures project" the boy whined.

Saeko shot up "That reminds me, we are doing a study session on Runes this evening! I need to shower.

"Glad I could help" Paddy grumbled as the kunoichi sprinted upstairs.

"Was that Saeko?" Daniel asked as he went to sit down in her spot, "We were meant to have…"

"I know, I know! She's gonna be back in a few" Paddy rolled his eyes. "She wrecks my own study group and I'm her secretary now" he finished grumbling.

"What's up with you?" Helena asked as she sat down.

"Nothing"

The blonde shrugged "Ok then. Would you mind if we used this table for our Runes study group?"

Patrick was struck speechless for a moment and then abruptly stood up "Sure! I seem I'm here for nothing anyway! Please, do highjack my study group!"

As the boy huffed and left Helena arched an eyebrow to prompt Daniel to explain. The prefect just shrugged.

It didn't take long and the duo was joined by Ashley and eventually by Saeko as well. After discussing Paddy's strange behavior the conversation turned to the planned topic - runes. Or more precisely their Runes study partners.

"I'm so going to get blown up" Peter whined, "You know, if we ever put our project into action."

Daniel chuckled "Aaron's doing his own thing without speaking to you?"

"Spot on"

"Booom!" Saeko made an exploding gesture with much gusto.

Ashley rolled her eyes "Just talk to him. He wants the best grades, right? You won't get an O in this project if your layers of protection don't synchronize."

"I tried" Peter sighed, "Aaron threw a tantrum and we haven't spoken since."

"Maybe Saeko should gloat about how amazingly her project with Lewis is going" Helena proposed.

Peter pondered it "That could work. Saeko?"

The ninja shrugged "Well, my work with Lauren _is_ progressing quite nicely. No boom in sight, that's for sure."

"It's settled then!"

Saeko rolled her eyes "Whatever. How's the second Snake turning up?"

"Mallory?" Helena shrugged, "He's alright, a typical pureblood brat but capable enough. Me being a rich pureblood helps. I guess he could be a bitch to worth with otherwise."

"A bitch to work with?"Ashley's jaw dropped with astonishment, "What happened to miss nice and proper? Are you high?"

The blonde rolled her eyes "How's your Gryffindor?"

"Neal's fun" Ash shrugged, "He's a big fan of sci-fi so his ideas are… imaginative. Bizarre. To say the least."

"Do they work?" Daniel asked.

"One"

"And?"

"Let it be a surprise" the pinkette grinned.

Daniel sighed "I wish my Gryffindor was fun. His knowledge of runes is really good, he's a great translator, but he has no imagination."

"deLuise must be doing the thinking it that group then" Peter hummed.

"Oh no, he's smart" the bespectacled boy countered, "he's just boring."

"Tough luck" Ash commiserated.

Helena turned to the kunoichi "You're up Saeko."

"Lauren's great," Saeko hummed, "We work together well. Perks of being friendly beforehand I guess."

"You're lucky" Daniel said with a bit of envy.

"It might get better" the pinkette mused, "You met up like what? Three times?"

The prefect nodded "Yeah. But I refuse to meet him as often as Saeko does with her Slytherin. He _is_ dreadfully boring."

Ash looked at the ninja "Ha, with the rate you two meet I expect a defense worthy of a pharaoh of old."

"We'll try"

"It will definitely go booom!" Peter chuckled.

Saeko grinned "But it will be a controlled booom!"

"Merlin help us all"


	79. 5- 79 Taking Time Off

***Taking Time Off***

"Sake?"

"Please"

Saeko did not smirk but was still quite satisfied her partner seemed to mellow out a bit over their runes sessions. Not that they worked on the 'closet' assignment every time - more often than not the two girls did regular homework or gossiped. Not that **the** Lauren Lewis would lower herself to gossiping. Except she totally did.

"It's warm" Lauren arched an eyebrow.

"It's getting cold outside" the Uchiha shrugged. "Besides, I run out of the good stuff and I'm still waiting for Itachi-nii to send me some more."

Lauren took a cautious sip and then hummed in satisfaction "Not bad."

"I'm not really in the mood to study" Saeko announced.

"Me too. I just had Potions with the Gryffs - Crow was an ass" the red-head said as she made herself more comfortable on the transfigured armchair.

"Oh?"

"He threw minced worms into Carlin's hair. She has quite the voice for panicked shrieking" Lauren smirked.

Saeko frowned "I bet Snape was livid. And I don't blame him. What if the worms got into her potion and interacted badly with it - the thing could've blown up."

"Spot on. He's got a month long detention and lost 50 points" the aspirant healer shook her head, "I don't see how O'Shea can date such a moron."

"Caitlin dumped him the first week back at school" Saeko shook her head, "She's actually on her second boyfriend since."

"It seems she adopted your outlook on dating" Lauren said derisively.

The brunette frowned "Hey, I calmed down considerably the last few months."

"If you say so"

"I do. After having Itachi's fiancée living with us I would not mind being in a relationship at all. Not here though" Saeko sighed. Lauren seemed to ponder that for a little while and then nodded.

The two girls drank in comfortable silence until the Slytherin broke it "Hey, speaking about 'over there', can you throw knives?"

"Sure, why?"

"I was bored and I wanted to be able to do it. I'm not though"

"Am I to play teacher?" Saeko smirked salaciously.

Lauren rolled her eyes "Yes."

"Say the magic word"

"I know plenty of them" the Snake snaked.

Saeko grinned "I want just the one"

"Please" Lauren gritted her teeth.

"Alright!" the nin smiled. Then she hesitated "It would've been better if you hadn't drank."

"Give me the basics and I'll do my very best not to kill you" the Snake rolled her eyes again.

Saeko scoffed "As if you could. Well, not with knives anyway. Poison, I'm not so sure."

Lauren smirked and nodded approvingly. The Uchiha drew a flat throwing knife from her boot "I've only got this one handy. I could transfigure something else though."

The Slytherin made a 'gimme' motion and inspected the knife that was given to her. Weighing it in her hand she smirked "Me likey."

"Let's see if you can do more than just hold it" Saeko said, went to a wooden table in the classroom and turned it to make a make-shift target. "Let me show you first."

Saeko took the beginner academy throwing stance and slowly but powerfully threw the blade.

Lauren nodded and went to retrieve the knife from where it was imbedded in the wood. Then she imitated the Ravenclaw's stance, which to her irritation Saeko swiftly corrected, and made an attempt of her own.

The knife dully impacted with the wood, handle first, and fell to the floor. "Bollocks!"

The next half-hour was spent 'playing teacher'. Finally Lauren achieved a nearly perfect success rate, missing only a few times.

"Excellent!" Saeko clapped, "When you are comfortable enough with smaller stationary targets you can move to the moving ones."

"Rain on my parade, will you" the Brit sighed and went to fetch the knife again.

The ninja smirked "For a civilian with half an hour of training you are amazing."

"Better"

"At least I know what to get you for your birthday" Saeko remarked.

"Make it a nice one"

"Aye Aye"

* * *

><p><strong>Great Hall<strong>

The atmosphere in the enormous hall was rather mellow, relaxed. Since it was Saturday no one was in any hurry, students and teachers alike, and they all enjoyed breakfast and the unusually warm morning. Mail had already arrived so a great part of the student body was reading the latest news or the letters they received.

Saeko herself had received several letters from Konoha, Shika even bothered to write her that the remaining two genin she taught for a little while just made chuunin and thinking of going to the Chuunin Police Corp. The most interesting fact was that Yuuko was made tokubetsu jounin. The tokujō was a peculiar rank - it meant the skills in one particular field were so great that they far out shadowed all others. It also meant more or less giving up on full jounin. Saeko smiled, she knew her occasional lover had no ambition to attain the highest rank and was very satisfied working in the T&I.

"Bollocks" Peter exclaimed and flung his muggle newspaper on the table.

Daniel looked up from his letter "Football?"

"Yeah…"

"Trade ya" Graham offered his own wizarding paper, "Quidditch results might cheer you up."

Peter smiled and immediately sought the quidditch league results. His smile turned sour and he glared at the pureblood "I hate you."

"Not my fault the Falcons have a losing streak this season" Graham smirked.

"Please don't" Caitlin sighed, "It is such a perfect morning. Have a cookie."

"Did anybody change their mind about Hogsmeade?" Daniel asked.

Saeko hummed "You want to go? I think I will just read beside the lake and enjoy the weather."

"Only if someone goes with me" the bespectacled teen shrugged and looked at his friends in anticipation.

"I've got a date" Caitlin replied.

"I've got Runes homework" Ashley shook her head.

"I don't really want to" Helena shrugged.

Daniel rolled his eyes "I got it, lazy sods."

Before anyone could make a retort, if they cared to, one of the male sixth year prefect approached his colleagues "Ashley, Daniel? Do you have a sec?"

"Sure" the pinkette lowered her toast.

"Could any of you take my patrol today by any chance? It's my girlfriend's birthday and Cox who was supposed to trade me got detention. Please, please, please! I'm prepared to do pretty much anything" the sixth year pled.

"Anything?"

"Within reason"

Daniel narrowed his eyes "There is a catch. I know there is a catch."

Anderson sighed "It's with Percy Weasley."

"Ha! I knew it!" Daniel exclaimed in triumph, "No way I'm dealing with that prick."

"I would take your shift with him next time" the sixth year proposed, clearly desperate.

"The next three times" the bespectacled Raven countered.

"Twice" Anderson replied sternly, "That is still a big win."

"True"

"So?"

The group looked in amusemet at Daniel who was making a show of thinking. Finally the aspiring auror nodded "I'll do it, if you also help me once with homework of my choice."

"Deal!" the tall sixth year agreed hastily. Then he smiled rather charmingly "Thanks, you are a savior."

Daniel nodded and waved Anderson off with a smile. The senior prefect thanked him once again and left. Graham looked at the two resident prefect and asked "What is wrong with Weasley?"

Ashley pursed her lips "He's the most arrogant, pompous, brown-nosing…"

"So basically he's an ass" Graham summed it up.

"That's an understatement" Daniel chimed in, "He's a pain to work with."

"He's one of the prime subjects of pranking in Gryffindor Tower" Caitlin smirked, "The Twins leading the charge."

The group chuckled and returned to their breakfast. Saeko turned to Daniel and whispered "How mighty nice of you helping the smiling and handsome Anderson."

Daniel blushed "Stop this."

* * *

><p><strong>Flitwick<strong>**'****s Office**

"So, OWLs"

"OWLs" Saeko agreed with a chuckle.

"Not worried?" Flitwick asked as he offered cookies to go with the tea.

"Thank you" the Uchiha took a few and then replied, "Not really. I think I will do reasonably well."

"I think so too" the Charms master smiled, "This this usually done after Christmas but I find my Ravens like to vent so, welcome to career consultation."

Saeko arched an eyebrow "Well, I kind of have my path ready."

Flitwick smirked "But I have such wonderful pamphlets!"

The brunette laughed as her Head of House wiggled his eyebrows and presented the booklets "I think I'm good."

"I do as well" the professor chuckled, "So, what you were thinking in the terms of NEWTs? I'm not really sure what is needed for Japanese politics but you previously mentioned being a soldier as well so I would say the three wand classes are a given. I would also advice for Potions."

Saeko nodded "Agreed, those are my sure ones as well. We'll see how the rest goes. Though, I wouldn't mind dropping Astronomy and History."

"Well, professor Snape accepts only those who achieve an Outstanding for his advanced class. For Transfiguration you need an E at minimum. The same goes if you will seek to continue Runes - professor Babbling once said she refuses to let people blow themselves up. Interesting lessons, yes?"

"Indeed" the brunette grinned.

Flitwick smiled as well "The rest are quite happy with Acceptables. As your performance is stably excellent I think you don't need to concentrate on any particular subject but rather continue as you have been doing."

"Thank you" Saeko smiled brilliantly.

"That said it is clear you prefer the practical side of learning but OWLs, as any other exams, require the theory also" the teacher warned.

"I'm well aware"

"Good. It was not a reproach, just an observation" Flitwick said in a conciliatory manner.

Saeko nodded "Speaking of practicals, how does the Restricted Section of Library works?"

Flitwick chuckled and shook his head in mock exasperation "You need a pass issued you by one of the professors. I know the rumor is any NEWT student can access it but that is not true. Instead that goes for the students who go after a Mastery while still at school. Those too need a pass though."

"Ah" the girl pouted.

"Cheer up, miss Uchiha," Flitwick grinned, "If you present a good enough project I will be happy to give you one."

"Hn"

"Don't be like that" the teacher played along, "I have a book that might interest you."

"Oh?"

"Monosyllabic answers, miss Uchiha? You wound me" Flitwick pouted for a change.

The kunoichi batted her eyelashes "Please professor, let me mooch spells off of you."

Flitwick winked and handed over a book "Elemental, just right up your alley. It's quite new actually, so not in the Library yet. It's mostly theory but very interesting."

Saeko took the book with a thank you and quickly leafed through it "Sounds good. Pity it's only the water element. Does the author think of doing a series?"

"That I do not know."

"Well, I could always write the Fire chapter" the sharingan user smirked.

"So I hear" the part-goblin shook his head with a smile.

Saeko took one last sip of her tea "What is your specialty by the way?"

"Hm, Ollivander says general charms, but I find I'm rather talented in chain casting" Flitwick straightened proudly in his seat.

"Impressive"

"Thank you" the teacher smiled, "Now, since you don't really need counseling I think I can call the next Raven in."

"Already?" Saeko pouted, "Well, my tea is finished so I guess I'll go."

"You said you had to go at half-past since you have training with Mr Bishop" Flitwick defended.

"Oh, right" the ninja said and hastily stood up, "Jared wanted a spar to see if he got any better at kick-boxing."

"That is a muggle martial art, yes?"

"Indeed. He even roped Roger Davies into it. It's good exercise and fairly useful, as their quidditch captain I can only approve"

"Excellent. I got quite used to have the quidditch trophy in my office" Flitwick looked over his shoulder at the Cup with a fond smile.

Saeko looked at the prominently displayed trophy as well "I bet having professor McGonagall over for tea is a blast."

"She does take quidditch rather seriously" the Ravenclaw Head of House remarked cheerfully.

"I know" Saeko grinned, "Transfiguration is always fun just before a match."

"I can imagine" Flitwick smiled conspiringly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I love writing Flitwick.<strong>

**AN2: I****'d like your opinion on making Daniel gay. It would not be this 'year' but I'm not sure about it… Yay/nay please post me a review about it, it would really help me.**


	80. 5- 80 Making Garden Gnomes, Part 1

**REMINDER: This story is in Saeko****'s point of view, that means she doesn't always have all info (Dumbledore scene). It will be explained later.**

* * *

><p><strong>*Making Garden Gnomes, Part 1*<strong>

"What do you think?"

Saeko looked up from her book to her roommate "I love it."

"Is it scary?"

"It's rather cute actually. But yeah, scary works too" the ninja smirked.

Ashley pouted, which with her painted face looked even cuter than before "It's supposed to be a skull. Or at least skullish. I did tell you about Catrina and…"

"Hai, hai, hai!" Saeko said in mild irritation, "At least three times already! Dia de los muertos, Mexico, lalalalala. I'm up to date, thank you."

"Jeesh" Ash returned to her makeup, "You're supposed to be happy and festive."

"Be glad I let you borrow my mirror" the Uchiha rolled her eyes, "And I never really understood why anyone should be happy and festive on the day dedicated to the dead. I mean back home we remember our ancestors and so on but it's usually a quiet affair full of contemplation."

"Boring"

"Thanks" Saeko said sarcastically but with an amused smile. It was true after all.

"De nada. How about now?"

"Yes, the flowery cap makes you look much scarier" the brunette chuckled.

Ash rolled her eyes "Let's just go see what Peter came up with."

"You dragged Peter into this?"

"It was his idea"

Saeko hummed "Can't wait to see how he looks in flowers."

Ashley chuckled and with a last look at herself in the mirror she stood up. Saeko followed suit. The duo was nearly out of the door when the pinkette suddenly stopped and Saeko nearly collided with her. In explanation she said "My guitar."

"What about it?"

"Her" Ash corrected as she picked the instrument up, "Grayson, a sixth year, said he knows some muggle Halloween songs." The kunoichi shrugged and went for the stairs.

The Ravenclaw common room was actually quite crowded - even the 'nerds' of Hogwarts liked to enjoy the festivities. Peter was already there, explaining the significance of the paint and the day in Mexican culture. Saeko whined at hearing it yet again. Ashley grinned at her roommate and went to a tall sixth year with a guitar in hand.

Saeko sat next to Helena and resigned herself to yet another retelling. Though she chuckled when she pictured the less than amused McGonagall if Peter showed up still painted for the 'true' Dias de los muertos the first and second of November.

When Peter finally finished his exciting lecture, now staring in suspicion at Ashley and this Grayson, Graham had the fabulous idea of getting painted as well.

"Come on, it will be cool!"

Helena rolled her eyes and refused to reply. Paddy was naturally on board immediately. As it usually went it only took five minutes and Peter was giving out makeovers.

As the archeology enthusiast busied himself with the white paste Daniel asked "Do you know it there is any truth to Dumbledore hiring the Dancing skeletons troupe?"

"No idea. I guess we will see at dinner" Paddy shrugged.

Saeko hummed "Pity we will not see the ghosts. The one performance two years back was interesting."

"You know that for sure?"

"Yep" the ninja nodded, "I know for sure The Nearly headless Nick hosts a big party tonight."

"A ghost party?" Graham arched an eyebrow, "Sounds quite dreadful."

Saeko shrugged. She only knew because her charge, Potter, got roped into attending the 'party'. The Uchiha actually quite agreed with Graham but hey, Potter has to learn to say 'no' at some point.

"Ok, you're finished" Peter said as he admired his handiwork on Paddy, "Who's next?"

"Me, me, me, me, me!" Graham waved his hands.

"Saeko, you in?" Peter asked with a smirk.

"Why not" Saeko grinned and presented her face. Graham pouted and began to protest vehemently but was completely ignored.

Daniel looked at Paddy's new face and hummed, quite impressed "I saw the Great Hall as Hagrid put up some decorations, it looks really nice, much better than last year. I even saw live bats."

"Cool" Peter said in a distracted manner.

The group continued to talk even as Graham finally got his turn. Eventually they were joined by Caitlin and Ashley and the group defaulted to their usual activity to keep themselves busy until dinner.

When it was time to get moving Helena, the only one whose face was bare hummed in thought "I just noticed you look a bit like Death Eaters. White mask of death and all."

…

…

"Well, that's awkward" Saeko nearly giggled.

"Indeed" Daniel frowned.

"But very fetching" Peter pouted.

"Dammit" Ashley swore.

Helena nearly choked, she was laughing so hard. When she calmed down a bit she managed to let out "The flowers help. I bet You-know-Who would be a fan and start a new fashion trend."

Graham tapped his chin in thought "That sounds offensive."

"Not as much as your face" the blonde countered swiftly.

"She's right" Daniel sighed.

"To the bathroom?" Paddy asked dejectedly.

Peter nodded, obviously sad his fiesta did not work out "I guess."

"Mendokse" Saeko sighed as well, "This is the last time I'm participating in your multi-culti stuff."

"Oi come on, it was fun while it lasted" Graham went to snack her back but the kunoichi dodged effortlessly.

When the no longer painted fifth-years came back from the washrooms the majority of their House had already taken off towards the Great Hall. The still smiling Helena waited for them, no doubt thinking up all the things she could tease them with since she had plenty to say. The usually Halloween-enthusiastic Ashley and Peter grumbled all the way through it, only perking up when arriving at their destination.

The feast cheered everyone up. The vast variety of food available worked wonders, even Saeko found it quite tasty. She even spared a little time for Potter and all the fun he had to have at Nick's deathparty. _Poor sod_.

When Dumbledore bid everyone goodnight at the end of the feast and the entertainment the students trailed out of the Hall, all stuffed and quite happy.

The fifth year Ravenclaws did the same. They set off towards their Tower when sudden screams and general noise made them stop and turned around, curious to what's this all about.

Saeko had a bad feeling. She would bet that The-Boy-Who-Lived was in the middle of whatever that was. With a title like that, who else could it be.

And naturally the sole ninja in Hogwarts was absolutely right - Potter and his two sidekicks were indeed there. There was water everywhere on the ground and more importantly an immobile cat was hanging from the torch bracket.

Saeko took one look at the writing on the wall over the stuffed-looking Mrs Norris and she had to sigh. "_Bloody fantastic."_

* * *

><p><strong>Dumbledore<strong>**'****s Office**

"Let me ask you this Dumbledore-dono, do you think that damnable cat was victim to prank in poor taste or do you think it was genuine?" Saeko asked, keeping all the irritation she felt from her voice.

"It was genuine"

"Rounding back to my previous point then, why should I not bring a tracker team to investigate!" the scarred girl gritted her teeth, "You want the Chamber of Secrets found? No prob, we have the Hyuuga!"

Dumbledore shook his head "It it bound to be warded, it will not be seen."

"Then the spot we can't see is it" Saeko proposed.

"Let me handle it, miss Uchiha" the headmaster pressed.

Saeko sat more comfortably in her chair and thought sarcastically "_Sure, why not. Why should I care, my friends are neither muggle-born nor cats_."

"Thank you" Dumbledore smiled when he saw the ninja relax.

"You already know who's the culprit and what the monster is" Saeko said confidently. The Headmaster was either informed or completely mad. Possibly both.

The elder sighed "I'm quite sure I know who opened it fifty years ago but little else."

"Hn"

A few minutes later Saeko was walking through the deserted corridors towards Ravenclaw Tower. The brisk Scottish air did little to soothe her anger. A mark of a good leader is the ability to use all the resources at your disposal at their utmost efficiency, something Dumbledore liked to ignore.

Saeko could understand he had some master plan going on but if he wanted ninja to stay on standby and not to meddle he should've just said it outright. The Uchiha would be quite happy with continuing her attendance like she did before Harry Potter came along.

"What 5-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?" the eagle guardian asked.

"Short" Saeko replied boredly.

The Ravenclaw common room was buzzing with activity as was usual since the 'cat incident'. The Ravens loved puzzles, mysteries and conspiracy theories. They thrived on it. Naturally every student already read the legend of the Chamber of Secrets and now they were trying to guess the creature within. So far the most popular theory was that of a medusa - a guardian who is able to turn people into stone. It fit.

Then there was Potter. While Slytherins found it amusing for Potter to be an heir to their patron, the Hufflepuffs went with the saying 'better safe than sorry' and stated to avoid him. The Ravens defaulted to books, some even tried the Genealogy of Nobility Houses and other similar tomes.

As to Potter himself he and his friends were absolutely convinced the Heir was Malfoy, which would be absolutely fine if they also did not intend to brew the polyjuice potion and interrogate the blond prat.

"Ooooh, someone's pissed" Graham observed.

"Hn" Helena did a Uchiha impression followed by a snicker.

"Hn" Saeko agreed with a small smile, "Though in all seriousness I'm more tired than pissed."

"Tea?" the blonde pureblood offered.

"Yes please"

Daniel closed his Potions textbook and asked "So, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing really, just infuriating clients" Saeko shrugged and sat down on the carpet.

The aspiring auror arched his eyebrows but when Saeko did not elaborate he shrugged "Well, we have been revising for Potions. I mean I get the subject can be dangerous but to request an O to continue is absurd!"

"But completely expected, it's Snape after all" Graham shrugged.

"Git" Paddy chimed in.

"Git" the rest agreed.

"I don't really need Potions" Graham hummed, "I'll just wing it and we'll see."

Helena rolled her eyes "Why I'm not surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Paddy jumped in, not in a mood to witness an argument "At least during OWLs Snape will be elsewhere. I hate how he looms over your shoulder, sneering. Or even worse that almost-smile that tells you he imagines your cauldron exploding in your face."

"It means you are lazy and have no direction" Helena said towards Graham, completely ignoring Paddy's attempt to keep the peace.

Saeko looked at Paddy "What comforts me more is the DADA test. I miss having a competent teacher for the subject. At least the examiner should be alright."

"So I don't have a business to inherit like _someone_. Sue me!" Graham frowned.

"Alright" Saeko stood up, "Thank you for the tea, I need to talk to my roomie about something. See you later."

"Good idea" Paddy sighed and left the bickering duo.

* * *

><p><strong>DADA Class<strong>

"And then AOOOOOOOOOO!" All the students who had been slowly dozing off jerked up at the pseudo-werewolf howl.

Since several little mishaps with the teaching material, Lockhart had decided to forgo any pretense of teaching and instead he acted out scenes from his books. The worst part was that the man always roped some student into acting with him, most often than not in the role of the villain. Fortunately he started using only the male students since Helena lectured/threatened him about being a Lady. The capital 'L' could practically be heard. Lockhart decided that messing with Heirs of Noble Houses could prove to be messy and left them be.

"Then the huge wolf-man tucked his tail between his legs and started to flee. Naturally I could not let that be and…"

Saeko looked at her blank notebook and sighed _"What a complete and utter moron. No wonder Granger got her Library pass so easily. Points to her for both guts and ingenuity."_

As Lockhart continued with his performance Saeko seriously considered being petty and playing around with genjutsu.

"I never set out to being a hero but…"

"_Just a little illusion. Maybe something that would make him pee his pants. The Weaseleys have done worse"_

"The villages were so grateful…"

Lockhart got saved from ninja-induced embarrassment literally by the bell. All the students picked up their stuff as quickly as they could and rushed away from the man, lest he wanted to 'help' his students.

"Does anyone have any plans?" Daniel asked.

"I dunno, read and then go to dinner?" Graham shrugged.

"I could use a chess partner" Helena hummed.

Saeko hummed "I think I will go for a soak in the Prefect's bathroom actually. Read and relax for a bit."

"Cool" Peter hummed.

"Oh yes" Saeko grinned, very much looking forward to her plans.

Twenty minutes later the Uchiha kunoichi was entering the masterpiece of engineering that was the prefect's bathroom. She had it all prepared - a good book, a bottle of expensive brandy she received as a gift from Helena and her pipe. Saeko slid into the warm water and sighed, this was heaven. She unsealed a glass for the brandy and hummed in appreciation at the marvelous deep color ad rich smell.

Just as she settled into the most relaxing state a ninja could achieve outside of Konoha a voice intruded "You can't smoke in here."

Saeko opened her eyes and sighed, searching for the intruder. Finally her gaze settled onto the big painting on her right "The smoke will be siphoned out with the vapor when I close the door behind me."

"It's not healthy" the mermaid pursed her lips.

The scarred teen blinked, marveling at the fact she was being lectured by a picture on a canvas "Thank you for your concern but I know a technique that makes it completely harmless."

"Aren't you too young?"

"For what?" Saeko arched her eyebrow, "Besides, I'm an adult by my country standard."

The mermaid muttered something in mermish. It sounded rather unflattering.

"How do you make a wizarding painting like you anyway?"

"How should I know, I'm a freaking painting" was the snappish reply.

Saeko rolled her eyes and gave up on conversation. She briefly wondered who had the brilliant idea of stationing a semi-sentient being into a bathroom, especially in such a prude country. Some Jiraiya-type Headmaster, no doubt.

And now she missed Anko and Yuuko. And Yuuhi Kurenai. The two tokubetsu jounin were hilarious and Kurenai somehow always ended on the butt of their jokes when she was present. Always a great show.

"_Speaking of show_" the Uchiha thought and tugged at the communications seal on her left arm to call Skygge or her clone to her.

When the bird poofed on one of the faucets Saeko asked "How goes Potter watch?"

"Nothing to report"

"Oh come on now, give me the gossip"

"There truly is nothing to say. Potter, Granger and Weasley keep to themselves and seem to only interact with the Twins and Malfoy, sometimes their yearmates. They do nothing, they do not have any other friends, they are boring" Skygge shrugged.

"That's odd. When we were in the second year we were flying around like paper kites" Saeko hummed.

"You didn't want to be, and I quote, 'just Harry'"

"Of course not, I want to be THE Uchiha" Saeko scoffed. The she amended "Well, if I were him I might make the same effort to evade Lockhart but other than that…"

"Lockhart is irritating" Skygge proclaimed.

"Wow, and here I thought you were made of stone" Saeko joked.

The raven 'shrugged' again "Shadows are supposed to be stoic. But I could make a little exception and make an owl shit in his breakfast."

"Make it his hair" the ninja chuckled and clapped in glee.

"Deal"

"So, how are you doing?" Saeko asked after a brief pause.

Skygge rolled her eyes "I'm not here to entertain you. I'm going back."

"Have fun" the girl sighed. She received no response. "Typical"

Twenty minutes later the combination of brandy, hot air and of course the previous lessons made Saeko's stomach growl. Realizing it was time to get out of the bath and to dinner she fished for the soap which was handily provided by the school.

"Elves" the brunette said aloud. She began to grin as she made the plan to eat in the kitchens instead of the Great Hall, _"They should know Hogwarts in and out. Or know which places to avoid or which places are forbidden. Then again Dumbledore or the previous Headmasters might've prevented them from talking about it. Heh, it's worth a try."_

"_But then again, they are not the Heirs of Slytherin, are they"_

"_Bah, at least I__'ll get some decent dinner out of it."_


End file.
